


The Shadows Of Regret

by NympheSama



Series: It Lives; In The Endless Summer Realm [1]
Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel), It Lives in the Woods (Visual Novel)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dark Magic, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fear, M/M, Magic, Multi, Mystery, Novelization, Possible Character Death, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-07-18 18:09:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 285,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16123952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: Mike Darwin weaves a tale of magic and darkness, where M!Taylor once more leads his friends through the unknown.Within Mikes story; how will Taylor and his friends cope with the strange, and ominous presence in the woods? And what dark secret do they share from their childhoods?





	1. A Day Like Any Other

**Author's Note:**

> My summary is awful but my head is pounding and i literally cannot think what else to say about it lmfao
> 
> So; anyway... this is an idea i have been toying with for awhile. Taking the Endless Summer crew - and jazzing up the It Lives In The Woods story with a few extra twists (maybe, im not fully decided yet!)
> 
> I hope you enjoy... i hope i do a good job... i hope you all know i love and appreciate you all ♡  
> Please let me know what you think and if you would like to see more... cuz if not i might just... leave it...
> 
> x My love to you all x

**It Lives; In The Endless Summer Woods.**

**The Shadows Of Regret.**

**1.**

**A Day Like Any Other**.

Taylor gazed into the fire before him, lost within its flickering, as fire sprites danced within the flames. He jumped in surprise, when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, a pair of legs settling either side of him, as Jake rested his head on his shoulder. "You know, we can always just go to bed if you're already spacin' out..." He murmured, as he nuzzled Taylor's cheek affectionately. "I got  _way_  better ways of keepin' ya entertained than Mike's dodgy camp o' horrors." He added, his lips brushing against Taylors throat.

Taylor smiled, curling his hands over Jake's before his chest and leaning back against his lover, unsubtly arching his neck for him. "I've been looking forward to tonight," he said fondly, his nose grazing the pilots jaw briefly. "We've been working on the house so much, we haven't seen anyone for ages. It'll be good for us to catch up." He hummed warmly, pressing a kiss to Jake's cheek, only for the pilot to twist and capture them in a proper kiss. "You're  _insatiable."_  Taylor giggled sappily, as Jake released him to scratch light kisses along his jaw.

"Hmm, married to a hot piece of ass like  _this..."_  Jake muttered, rocking his hips gently to Taylors ass for emphasis, as he huffed in quiet amusement. "Be hard to be anythin' but." He chuckled, as Taylor laughed fondly.

"The gruff Jake McKenzie, reduced to a sappy, sentimental romantic..." He snickered, as Jake narrowed his eyes and nipped his collarbone playfully. "The world really  _has_  ended." He said, pausing as his amusement abruptly faded, swallowed by a heavy sense of guilt.

"Hey." Jake said, his arms tightening around Taylor in a protective cocoon, as if he thought he might keep the bad thoughts from his husbands mind. "Stop it. Ya couldn'ta done anythin' else, Boy Scout."

"I could've sent you all home." Taylor whispered, his head rolling across Jake's shoulder as he swallowed heavily and shook his head, gazing up at the slowly awakening stars above them. "I could've given you your lives back, your families... Craig's little brother, Sean's mom,  _your_  sister..." He paused, drawing in a shuddering breath as he leaned away from Jake to peer at him with obvious confusion. "How do you not  _hate_  me for stealing that from you?"

"Taylor, if you didn't exist, we never would've survived in the first place..." Jake explained quietly, tickling Taylors shoulder with affectionate squeezes. "Those things would've never even been an option without ya... And I think we all agree, nobody should be sacrificin' themselves anymore. We've all been there, one point or another... Now we're all livin' together peacefully. We said goodbye to our pasts, Boy Scout. Now, let us live in our present, without feelin' bad about what might've been." He said, nuzzling his jaw softly. "I can always distract ya, if need be... Gimme the word and we can go back to the suite, and I'll spend all night distractin' ya from anythin' ya wan-"

"You  _are_  a distraction, Grandpa." Mike snorted, as he sat down heavily beside them, the others slowly trickling into the make shift campsite behind him. "Quit bein' such a randy old man and enjoy a night of good food, good drink, good company... And look, this lot came too." He added, jerking a thumb around the rest of the group and laughing when they either sighed or groaned at his humour. His heterochromatic eyes glittered with amusement, as Taylor looked over at him with a fond grin, his eyes catching on the visible burns at the back of his neck briefly, as the shadows and flames flickered across the old scars. 

 _"You're_  ego is almost as bad as Top Gun's..." Taylor huffed, pushing aside his guilt for another time, when he was alone and able to blame himself freely for their predicament. "I can't tell which one of you rubbed off on the other, Rocket Man." 

"Hey, hey; I say again," Mike said seriously, jabbing a finger at Taylor, as he laughed at his obviously faked outrage. "There has been  _no rubbing_  of any kind between me and Grandpa... Ya can't pay me enough to put up with his bullshit. Best friend material only, Kid."

Taylor snorted, capturing Mike's accusing finger and shoving him away lightly. "Uh huh, the man doth protest too much, me thinks..." He snickered, glancing at Jake as his husband watched the interaction with gentle amusement. "And  _you're_  way too quiet. You're  _never_  quiet. It's entirely too suspicious."

"Okay, okay, lets not get bogged down with your ridiculous theories of who may have fucked who and when, here..." Mile said loudly, as Michelle and Quinn giggled at him. "We're here for a party... And  _my_  specialty; scary campfire stories."

"Says the guy who crapped his pants when we went to see Wolfman with my sister," Jake snorted, looking over at his friend with a wry grin. "And  _she_  was the one who had to-"

"Okay, you are tellin' that story  _way_  outta context, Grandpa." Mike growled, scowling as his accusatory finger returned to jab itself towards Jake. "That was a  _one time thing_ , and it was-" Jake laughed, grabbing Mike's wrist and jostling him as they arm wrestled around Taylor playfully, while Taylor merely snickered at the pairs antics.

"Hey, mind the merchandise here..!" He laughed, as Jake finally settled back into his former position behind Taylor, an affectionate grin on his face as Mike sent him a final playful pout. He smiled as Jake embraced him once more, drawing him closer against the pilots chest while Mike rolled his eyes.

"Yo bro's, get a room!" Craig hollered cheerfully, laughing raucously when Zahra backed up his comment by flipping the bird at the pair with a smirk.

"Got one." Jake said smugly, burying his face in the side of Taylors throat as he snickered and squirmed away from his scratching kisses. "Nice big one, with a huge bed and lotsa nice surfaces to fu-"

 _"Jake!"_  Taylor yelped, silencing his husband with a kiss which had Jake humming a pleased sound deep in his throat.

"Yeah Taylor, stop being so damn sappy!" Diego teased, as Varyyn took his hand and kissed his fingers affectionately, causing the younger to blush furiously.

"I  _literally_  haven't done anything!" Taylor protested, his eyes wide as he turned to his best friend, his jaw dropping in feigned outrage. "Besides,  _you're_  the one having your damn hand molested right now!" He laughed, tossing a meringue ghost at Diego's head.

"Hey now, no abusing the food, doodlejumps!" Raj cried, his eyes wide as he looked after his creations worriedly, as Taylor and Diego sniggered and threw them at each other.

"Okay! Hey,  _hey!"_  Mike called, raising his arms to gather everyone's attention. "Let's not get distracted here! I promised a scary story... And I am gonna deliver." He said firmly, though his lips twitched with obvious amusement.

Taylor huffed, finally calling a truce to his meringue war with Diego, and snuggling back into his pilots chest. "Fine... But this better be good, Rocket Man."

"Aleister... Will you hold me?" Grace asked quietly, huddling into the pale boys side, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders obligingly.

"Of course." He said gently, his usual sternness melting as he pressed a soft kiss to the dark skinned girls wild curls. "I'm sure you needn't be scared though Grace, I'm confident that Michael's ability to scare is merely an exaggeration." He assured, as Grace smiled and curled up beside him.

Taylor smiled as Sean offered his arm to Michelle, the blonde slipping easily against his side to rest her head on his shoulder, while Kele and Quinn sat similarly on the other side of the campfire. "I resent that slur on my skill, Hedwig, but just this once I shall let it slide." Mike sneered, clearing his throat as he peered around the circle of friends sinisterly.

"This is not just a story," he began lowly, meeting everyone's eyes as he looked over them slowly. "This all happened, but I've changed a few details for the purposes of this little gathering..." He said, his lips twitching with a barely repressed smile, as Taylor rolled his eyes and settled himself more comfortably against Jake's shoulder, smiling at the soft kiss he felt upon his brow. "And it all began, on a day like any other..." Mike said, throwing some dust upon the fire and causing the flames to roar; and for the briefest moment as his friends all gasped in awe, Taylor thought he saw the flicker of a shadow behind Mike, before he retrained his attention on the ex-pilot, and lost himself to the story he began to weave for them.


	2. Old Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so guilty after all this - my gosh... but hopefully my putting these guys through all this pain is gonna ve worth it!
> 
> I had amazing fun (despite feeling so guilty) writing this chapter! I really hope you enjoy it! Hopefully see you again soon innthe next one?
> 
> Please let me know what you think, my opinion on how well this works is obviously inadmissable - so id like to know how it feels as a story...
> 
> x My love to you all x

**2.**

**Old Friends.**

_Bzzzzzzzzzz_

Taylor whined, rolling himself up in his duvet as a distinct buzzing sounded in his ears. He reached out, blearily fumbling at his bedside table, as he tried to find the offensive buzzing object. When his blind search proved fruitless, he reluctantly peeled open his eyes and breached the barrier between sleeping and waking. _"Nnnnhhhh..."_ He whined tiredly, frowning as he raised his head and peered blearily around his dresser. "What..?" He mumbled, when he found the faintly flashing screen, and reached for his phone while still half asleep. He unlocked the device, and blinked several times as the bright screen flared to life, a distinct sound of disapproval escaping his throat. "Ugh. Who the hell's texting me at... _three in the morning_?!" He yelped, sitting up abruptly as he saw Diego's name flash onto his screen.

 **Hey, are you there? It's Diego**. The first message pinged into his inbox as Taylor barely stifled a yawn, running a hand through his hair as he tried to wake himself up. He sighed, shifting himself back against his headboard as he slowly frowned at his screen, upon seeing the second message from his best friend. **I messed up. I'm so sorry...**

 **Diego? What the hell dude, are you okay? What happened?** He quickly text back, a sense of dread building in his heart as Diego remained silent for a few brief minutes, which felt like entire lifetimes each on their own.

 **I went back into the woods**. Diego's reply had Taylor bolting upright, his heart instantly clamouring in his chest as he pictured his best friend in danger. **I had to be sure, I had to prove to myself that it was all in my head...** Diego's follow up message pinged into his inbox a moment layer, and Taylor cursed as he threw his covers off his legs and swung his feet to the floor. **But it isn't, Taylor, it's all real. _HE'S_ real**. His best friends messages quickly becoming increasingly alarming.

 **Diego... Are you drunk or something**? Taylor quickly replied, gnawing at a nail and bouncing his knee in agitation, as he waited for Diego to reply and desperately hoped his friend was merely drunk and hallucinating. It wouldn't exactly have been the first time, since they'd each turned eighteen earlier in the year. Diego had taken more intimately with drinking, his gentle nature finding solace in the act, drowning out the memories of their past.

 **I heard him whispering, just like when we were kids**. Diego finally text back, and Taylor hung his head, curling a hand into his sleep mussed short red hair and tugging at it sharply. He sucked in several harsh breaths, trying to calm the rapid rush of blood in his ears.

 **Stop it, Diego**. He sent back quickly, raising his head to scowl at his phone, once he felt he had a better grasp on his emotions. **We... We made all that stuff up**. He sent, swallowing heavily as he repeated the now familiar words both to himself and his best friend. **Mr. Red was just, a dumb kids game that... got out of control. He doesn't exist, dude. He never did**. Taylor closed his eyes briefly, scrubbing his hand over his face and furrowing his brow, as he was riddled by uncertainty. With a sharp inhale of breath, he steeled his nerve and told himself once again that his doubts were misplaced, but he immediately felt a cold chill travel up his spine, when he saw Diego's next messages awaiting him.

 **He does. He's here with me now**. Taylor felt his heart lurch, his hand trembling as his phone suddenly seemed to weigh more than a stack of bricks. He exhaled loudly, his throat tightening as he felt a very real splinter of fear prick his heart.

 **Wait... Diego, where are you?** Taylor sent back, his mouth dry as he tried to swallow past the thick blanket of dread which seemed to descend upon him.

 **I can hear him... in the trees**. Diego's almost wistful reply made Taylors heart clench painfully, a ringing sound beginning to sound in his ears as he slowly pushed to his feet and began to pace beside his bed nervously. **I hear him whispering**... Diego's newest message pinged in his inbox and instilled a fear so deep, that Taylor paused in his pacing and shivered. He desperately yearned for his friend to send another message, laughing and calling him a wuss for falling for his drunken prank; but the use of the forbidden topic, Mr. Red, already told him that message would never come.

A sudden burst of harsh tapping from his window made Taylor jump, dropping his phone as he spun around quickly. _"Aaaahh!"_ He yelped in surprise, his heart hammering in his chest as he noticed a dark shape looming outside the window. His blood turned to ice, as he fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on, flooding his bedroom with bright light which streamed through the window to reveal a familiar form huddled outside.

 _"Diego!"_ Taylor cried, his expression morphing to a scowl as he approached, his relief at knowing his friend was safe quickly being replaced by irritation at his cruel prank. "What the _hell_ are you doing out there at three on the morning, dude? This is _seriously_ lame, man. You scared the goddamn shit outta me with those bloody messages!" He snarked, frowning as he unlatched and slid his window open.

"Taylor..." Diego said slowly, frowning as if he weren't entirely sure whether he were really looking at his best friend. "Can I come in?" He asked with uncharacteristic shyness, as Taylor rolled his eyes at him in frustration.

"Well that's kinda what the open window was for, yeah." He huffed sarcastically, stepping back and folding his arms over his chest as he raised an expectant brow at his friend. "You know, seeing as you decided to forgo the use of the perfectly normal _door_ downstairs." He added, frowning as Diego finally began to stiffly climb into his room. "You've got some _serious_ explaining to do though, assbutt." He said, glancing back out the window with his brows furrowed in confusion. "First off... How the _hell_ did you get up to my window? 'Cause we're _definitely_ on the second floor right now."

"I climbed." Diego said quietly, cocking his head with a faint frown, as if he thought Taylor were being ridiculously dense.

"Uh... okay, _Spiderboy."_ Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he felt his irritation bleed away into sympathy for his obviously drunken friend, running his eyes over him worriedly. "You sounded really freaked out in your texts, dude..."

"It's nothing." Diego said, waving a hand dismissively as he moved around Taylor to the far wall, gazing intently at a blank area. "I'm fine." He said distantly, reaching for a small photo and returning it to the wall, pinning it in place by a ragged corner. "Come on," he said suddenly, turning back to the window now his task was seemingly complete, as Taylor frowned at him in rising concern. "We need to go get the others."

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa..."_ Taylor finally interrupted, stepping into Diego's path so he couldn't clamber back out the window. "Slow down there, Forrest... _What_ others?" He said, shaking his head slightly as he felt the blanket of dread settle upon his shoulders once more.

"Our friends!" Diego laughed lightly, a bright smile which did not reach his eyes forming on his face, causing Taylor to shiver and take an uncertain step back from his best friend. "Rebecca, Quinn, Raj, Aleister, Zahra and Sean." Taylor frowned as Diego rattled off the names like they'd spoken only the day before, instead of drifting apart over the past ten years. "I've got something to show you..." Diego whispered, and Taylor couldn't help the shiver of nervousness at the strangely excited, conspiratorial tome his friend used. "But, we need to bring everyone."

"Diego..." Taylor tried, pushing aside his unease as he tentatively reached for his friend, only to hesitate before he could touch him. "Dude, we've barely spoken to any of that group since we were little kids.  After what happened-"

"But they _have_ to come, Taylor." Diego demanded firmly, his shoulders stiffening as his expression bled into an uncharacteristically hard scowl. "Everyone has to be there. _That's the rule_." He said, causing Taylor to flinch and shudder, at the darkness which overcame his friends face.

Taylor looked down as his phone buzzed again, rattling across the floorboards. He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair as he bent down to pick up the vibrating object. "Diego, dude... You _know_ I wanna help you. You're my _best friend_ , but honestly; you're kinda freaking me out right now, assbutt." He sighed, holding his phone tightly as he gazed at his best friend imploringly. "We've got out first day of school in like, six hours... Can't this wait til then, dude? I think you just need to sleep this o-" His phone buzzed again in his hand, and he fell silent as another notification popped up on the screen just as he looked down with a frown.

 **Are you still there? I... I think I'm lost, dude...** Taylors blood ran cold as he saw new messages from Diego arriving in his inbox, his heart thudding violently within his chest. **Taylor? My battery's almost dead, please... help me!**

"Wait..." Taylor said slowly, swallowing heavily as he stared at his phone in disbelief. He licked his lips, his hands trembling as he tried to understand the impossibility of what he saw upon the screen. 

"We have to go back to the woods, Taylor." Diego said lowly, just before the lights in Taylors bedroom flickered, a chill wind sweeping through his open window. Taylor swallowed thickly against the fear which choked him, slowly looking up from his phone.

"... Diego?" He asked hesitantly, his heart faltering as a smile spread across his best friends face, stretching wider than it should.

 _"Taylor."_ He whispered darkly, his eyes glittering with an unnatural malice. Taylor started to back away, but Diego's hand clamped tightly around his wrist.

 _"Hey!"_ Taylor yelped, trying to pull free, only for his friend to cling to him with inhuman strength. His heart hammering wildly in his chest, Taylor did the only thing he could think of; drawing back his fist and slamming it against Diego's cheek, his eyes widening when his friend barely even flinched. "What the-"

Diego threw Taylor to the floor, pinning his back to the rough boards. "We _all_ have to go back." Diego growled darkly, as Taylor struggled helplessly beneath him. "Don't you remember?"

"Dude, get _off_ of me!" Taylor yelled back, scowling as he tried to free his arms so he could shove his friend away. He finally managed to free one hand, using it to claw at Diego, only for his flesh to crumble beneath his fingernails.

Diego leaned in, his cold breath stonking of moldy dirt and blood, as his malicious grin began to spread over his face. "Everyone plays together, Taylor..." He demanded as shadows converged upon him, his entire face and body disappearing into the darkness. The creatures hands tighten around Taylors throat, causing his vision to blur, as the shadows seemed to writhe and bleed throughout the dark room.

 _"Hrrnnnngg..."_ Taylor choked, paralyzed by terror and finding he had no breath left to scream. He simply sank deeper into a cold, black nothingness. 

 _"Aaaaahhh!"_ Taylor cried, jerking into wakefulness with adrenaline burning in his veins, as he thrashed against his attacker; until he realised that he was alone in his room. "The _hell..?"_ He gasped, looking over to his closed window nervously. "Oh my _god..._ What a messed up dream." He muttered, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. His fingers dipped to his neck and he gasped, flinching as he brushed fresh bruises there. " _What the_ -?!" He cried, flying from beneath the tangle of his covers, as he swept across the room to his mirror and gazing at the marks on his flesh in wide eyed disbelief. "No way... this can't be happening..." He muttered, shaking his head as he twisted a hand into his short red hair.

Taylor glanced around his room urgently, finding his phone on the floor beside his bed. He snatched it up quickly to look at the texts he'd received the previous night, only to discover the battery had died. "Aw, _crap..."_ He sighed, tossing his phone into his school bag and turning heading to the bathroom down the hall. After taking some time to refresh himself and prepare for the day, he ambled back to his room and turned towards his closet.

"Guess I'm heading back in the closet..." He snickered distractedly, shaking his head at his own weak attempt at humour. "I suppose I better get ready for school though. Need to look good for my first day of senior year, and all... Not that I don't _always_ look good, of course." He added, snickering as he brushed his hair up into a familiar spikey style. He grabbed a mesh net top and threw a vest over it quickly, before tugging on a pair of jeans covered in zips. He added several studded belts, because one would just have been ridiculous, before adding some spiked bracelets to one wrist and a gaudy silver necklace for good measure. 

"Yep, I'm a damn godsend." He huffed, laughing lightly. "Which... is why I am still a virgin." He chuckled, shaking his head at himself in amusement. He paused suddenly, frowning as he lightly fingered at the dark marks around his neck, before quickly rolling up the neck of his vest, effectively hiding them from sight. After a final glance at himself in the mirror, he shook his head and grabbed his bag, before hurrying down the stairs.

As he made his way outside, he cast a nervous glance toward the border at the edge of his yard. The trees beyond his scruffy fence loomed ominous and dark, and a shiver passed over Taylors spine. " _Mr. Red_..." He breathed, shaking his head as he ran his eyes over the woodland area and bit his lip dubiously. "Diego _couldn't_ have seen him... That, that was all just make believe." He mumbled, his eyes narrowing as he repeated the words they had all told themselves over the years.

He shook himself from his dazed staring, descending the steps from his front door, as a friendly voice called out from the yard next door. "Morning, neighbour!" 

"Oh hey, Lila." Taylor called, startling as he looked over at the brunette tour guide for Rourke Industries, who lived beside them. "What's up?"

"Just coming back from our walk." Lila giggled happily, smiling as she tipped her head towards a nearby footpath. "Hey, Furball, look who it is!" She called over her shoulder, drawing a blur of blue fur to crash out of the bushes, looking around excitedly.

 _"Mrrmm!"_ The blue fox yipped, bounding over to Taylor, who laughed and dropped to his knees to pet him, as the foxes bushy tail wagged back and forth like a flag.

"Hi, boy!" Taylor laughs, as the blue fox whined and leapt nimbly up to his shoulders, where he began to lick his face. "Whose a good magic ice fox? _You_ are! _Yes,_ you are..!" Taylor cooed affectionately, scratching behind Furball's ears as he squirmed away from.ghe small cold tongue. "Oh, man... I still can't believe your luck in finding him! He's so adorable, like, _literally_ the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm _so_ jealous..." He said, pouting over at his neighbour accusingly as he got to his feet.

"Heh, well I think he spends more time at _your_ house than mine to be fair." Lila laughed, pointing at the little fox knowingly. "He's already picked his favourite, even if it _was_ me who found him alone and hungry in the woods!"

 _"Mrrrhmmm!"_ Furball purred, nuzzling against Taylors cheek fondly. He laughed and scratched under the little foxes chin, as Furball nipped at his fingers playfully.

 _"Aww..._ It's always good to see you too, little buddy!" Taylor said, as Furball hopped down from his shoulder and into his arms, wriggling happily as he presented his belly for Taylor to rub. "Oh, I see... You only want me for my belly rubbing abilities!" Taylor snickered, shaking his head as he acquiesced to the small animals demands and began to scratch his offered belly.

"Your parents around?" Lila asked, an uncharacteristic frown on her face as she peered at the obviously empty driveway. "I didn't see 'em out and about this morning."

"You know them, busy busy." Taylor sais dismissively, pretending not to notice the brief flicker of sympathy which welled within Lila's eyes. "They're still overseas dealing with my aunt's estate, or whatever... They'll uh, they'll be back in a couple of weeks." He said, clearing his throat as he willed himself to believe the words himself.

"Aw, shoot..." Lila said, her naturally bubbly personality dimming as she eyed Taylors home dubiously. "That's a long time for a kid to be by themselves... Especially in a big house like that!" She said, as she bit her lip in concern.

"Yeah well, I'm eighteen now so at least I can take care of myself." Taylor said, smiling down at Furball as he huffed and captured his hand playfully between his four paws. "Besides, the nightly ragers keep me occupied." He joked, snorting as Furball rolled in his arms and hopped down to the floor. "Nothing like kegstands and strip poker to kick off a new school year, am I right?"

"You know, as someone who's older than you and has been through college," Lila began with a giggle, her melancholy fading at Taylors teasing. "I feel obligated to tell you, that kegstands are a lot less fun than they sound." She paused, her expression rearranging into a confused frown briefly. "I mean, unless you like the feeling of cheap beer foam all up in your sinuses..."

"Gross." Taylor laughed, picking up his bag and rubbing Furball's head a final tine briefly, before pushing to his feet again. "No thankyou. I shall leave such things to the experts, like Raj." He snickered, though his amusement faded as the nightmare from the previous night flashed before his eyes. When he shook himself free of the vision, he found that Lila had cocked her head and taken a few steps towards his house, before crouching down beside a small pile of loose dirt.

"Huh," she hummed thoughtfully, her fingers tentatively sweeping the topsoil of the mound aside. "I wonder what this could be..." She said lowly, plucking something out of the pile and holding it up to the light. Taylor frowned and narrowed his eyes, finding himself staring suspiciously at a glossy black stone, carved with a strange rune. "This yours?" Lila asked, her eyes rising to Taylors expectantly.

Taylor shrugged his shoulders, holding out his hand for the stone, allowing Lila to drop it into his palm. "Hmm..." He hummed noncommittally, as he examined the stone carefully, running his thumb across a deep crack which ran through th center of the engraved rune. "Weird..." He remarked distractedly, as he hefted the stone gently in his palm, the object surprisingly heavy for its small size. "I wonder where it came from... and what broke it." He wondered aloud.

"Beats me!" Lola chirped happily, beaming a wide smile at him, as she strolled back to her own yard. "Looks like a paperweight or something!" She said lightly, glancing down at Furball with a knowing grin. "I suppose you're coming home with me whilst your favourite goes to school?" She asked, laughing when the blue fox yipped in obvious assent.

Taylor barely heard then, absently brushing away some of the dirt from the stone, when he froze suddenly. A familiar scent wafted into his nose; cold earth, with a hint of blood. Taylor swallowed heavily, lost in the vivid memory of the previous night. "It smells just like that thing that-" he whispered, before snapping out of his own thoughts, forcing himself to fall silent as he glanced nervously at Lila, his throat burning beneath the high neck of his vest.

"Smells like what?" The perky tour guide asked, cocking her head as she ran her eyes over him curiously.

"Uh... weird." Taylor said quickly, clearing his throat as he shrugged his shoulders in an attempt at nonchalance. "It just... smells kinda weird."

Lila nodded as if she suddenly understood, dusting off her hands as she smiled at him with a bouncing energy he no longer felt. "Well! I'll let you get to school!" She said brightly, pausing as she glanced up at his house. "You just, let me know if you need anything... alright? My door's _always_ open." She said warmly, her smile infectious as Taylor felt himself smile back gently.

"Will do." He said, nodding lightly as he swung his bag back to his shoulder. "Thanks, Lila." He called, raising a hand in a vague wave, as Lila clapped her hands together quickly. Furball ran around Taylors legs once, making him laugh fondly, before the little blue fox darted away to follow Lila. Once they were out of sight, Taylor looked down at the stone in his hand, the smile fading slowly from his face.

 _If what I saw last night was real, this could be a clue_... He thought, tracing his finger over the cracked rune again lightly. _I better keep it somewhere safe_. He hummed, closing his hand around the stone as he raised his head and squinted around the yard, his eyes alighting upon the old shed just inside of the fence. He trotted over quickly, knowing he was now running short on time. It took several tries for him to finally work the door open, ots rusted hinges screeching with every shove.

"Damn..." Taylor muttered, scowling at the stubborn door as he finally managed to push his way inside and turned on the light. "When's the last time someone was even in here..?" He wondered, grimacing as cobwebs tickled his face. He swiped them aside distractedly, as he approached the worktable at the back of the shed, and set the cracked stone down on its dusty surface. "Huh..." He hummed, looking around the unused space thoughtfully. "I bet I could fit all kinds of stuff in here..." He looked around a moment more, before shrugging his shoulders and turning back to the door. He flicked off the light and stepped back out into the yard, closing the shed door behind him, before setting off at a rough jog towards the road.

He hummed as he walked, distracting himself from thinking of the previous night and telling himself he was going to kick Diego's ass when he saw him; just on principle. It was a few minutes later, walking at the edge of the asphalt road which ran along the edge of the woods, that he heard a car approaching from behind. He stepped to the side, glancing  up as he half turned, to lock eyes with the driver of a black vintage Camaro.

Taylor quickly faced forward, desperately hoping that the heat he felt rising to his cheeks hadn't been a visible phenomena to the driver. He kept walking, lowering his gaze with a faint furrow to his brows as he recalled the mans face. _He looks familiar_... He thought, his heart skipping a beat as he heard the car begin to slow. He stopped at the same time as the car, turning to see the driver leaning out the open window with a cocky, lopsided grin.

"Hey," he drawled, and Taylor smiled at the way the drivers cerulean eyes quickly darted over him. "I know ya from somewhere?" He asked, a southern accent colouring his words as he looked at Taylor curiously.

Taylor hummed thoughtfully, taking his time as he dragged his eyes over the shaggy, shoulder length hair and five o'clock shadow of stubble of the handsome man. "Well, I'd sure like to know you better!" He finally said with a coy wink, causing the driver to laugh and cock an eyebrow at him in amusement.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to that." The driver said, his cocky grin only growing at the easy banter. "Though, it looks like you're on ya way somewhere at the moment." He said, nodding towards Taylors school bag. "Westchester High?"

"Er, yeah..." Taylor admitted reluctantly, wishing the floor could swallow him and save him from having to confess that he was still a student to the man. "But, I'm eighteen!" He blurted suddenly, able to feel his cheeks burning as the driver gave a surprised bark of laughter. "I mean, I'm a senior. It's my last year." He clarified, biting his lip and holding his head high despite his embarrassment, vehemently wishing away the hot flush in his cheeks as he lowered his gaze to the asphalt.

"Almost free of that hellhole then, huh?" The driver asked, still snickering over Taylors flustered confession. "Congrats." He said, as he quickly glanced over Taylor again.

"Thanks." Taylor sighed in relief, pleased the man was ignoring his outburst. "I'll, uh, see you around?" He asked hopefully, toying with the strap of his bag, as he peeked up at the driver with a small, sly smile.

"Probably will." The driver chuckled, tipping his head in acknowledgment. "It's a small town." He said, clicking his tongue as he briefly brushed two fingers to his brow in a rough salute. Taylor stepped back as the driver stepped on the gas, biting his lip as the car began to pull away.

"Oh!" He gasped suddenly, his eyes widening as he stepped forward and looked after the car. "I never got your..." He began to call after the driver, but he was already too far away to hear him, disappearing around a bend in the road. "... _name."_ He sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly, before shrugging his shoulders and continuing his long walk to school.

 _No, no Mr fancy car guy, I don't need a lift at all; please, just leave me out here, despite the fact you're obviously gonna go past the stupid school_... He thought acerbically, shaking his head as he snorted and made his way along the road, a small smile curling the corners of his lips upward, as he lost himself in pleasant daydreams of handsome, not quite strangers.

By the time he finally made it to school, a thin crowd of other students were trickling across the front yard, waving and calling out to their friends as they converged before the entrance doors. Taylor ignored them, moving straight inside to search out his best friend and apply the ass-kicking he had mentally been promising him. He squeezed through the loud and crowded hall, to find a familiar girl standing at the locker beside his. "Oh!" He yelped in surprise, his eyes widening as he flashed back to the previous night briefly. "Hey, Zahra." He said, recovering his wits quickly and moving to stuff his bag in his locker.

"'Sup." Zahra replied blandly, her maroon mohawk flopping over one side of her face, covering the against school regulations piercing in her eyebrow, and the additional rings in her ear.

"Not much..." Taylor said elusively, pushing aside his discomfort over the previous night as he frowned suddenly. "That hasn't always been your locker, has it? I've never seen you using it before..."

"Got reassigned." Zahra said, kicking her locker shut and shrugging her bag onto her shoulder. "Oh look, it's Quinn." She said dryly, gesturing over Taylors shoulder. Taylor turned to follow Zahra's gaze, to see a redheaded girl approaching. She had crystalline blue eyes, which held a great deal more kindness than Taylor had ever thought possible, her fair complexion turned a shade paler than it used to be when they'd last talked. She smiled shyly, glancing down the hall as she clutched a textbook to her chest.

"Um... Hi, guys." She said quietly, peeking up them as her pale hands trembled slightly. Taylors heart ached as he looked over the withdrawn girl, recalling the day she had been given the devastating news of her incurable illness.

"Hi, Quinn." He said with a soft smile, pleased when she looked up at him with obvious gratitude. _I should never have let us drift apart._ He thought guiltily, clearing his throat as he grabbed a book from his locker by way of distraction. "It's  been awhile..." He said, pausing as he almost asked about her summer, before deciding against it. It wasn't exactly obvious that Quinn's parents were constantly at loggerheads since their daughters diagnosis with Rotterdam's Syndrome, but it was fairly common knowledge around the town that they differed in opinion of how she should be treated. "You excited for classes?" He finally asked, shaking himself from his guilt and refocusing on the girl who had once been such a close friend.

"I guess..." She said, her smile turning to a concerned frown as she bit her lip. "I'm a little worried about my art class." She admitted, as Taylors eyes widened in surprise.

"What? _Why?"_ He choked, as Quinn averted her eyes from him, her cheeks stained a faint rosy pink which made her pale complexion all the more striking. "You're an _amazing_ artist! I remember you drawing some of the most detailed stuff I've ever seen!" He went on, emphasising his point with a dramatic hand gesture. "Besides... Don't you have like, a four point five grade point average..?" He asked, expending a fair deal of effort to force himself to calm down.

"Well, yeah but... Art has no objective rubric for success. How can I be sure I'm doing it right?" She asked, glancing at him briefly as her cheeks coloured further. "Besides... I, find it difficult to hold a paintbrush or pencil for too long now." She admitted quietly, as Taylor was struck by a sharp sting of guilt for overlooking her sickness and the effects it might have upon her body.

"Quinn..." He murmured, half reaching to draw her into a hug, but redirecting his hand at the last moment to pat her gently on the shoulder. Before he could say anything further, Quinn glanced around furtively and stepped closer, lowering her voice.

"There's um, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about..." She said, a tinge of urgency to her words, as she gazed at him imploringly.

"Sure," Taylor said, a sense of foreboding building in his gut. "What's up?" He asked, forcing himself to ignore the reluctance a d dread which he felt clutch at his heart.

"I... I got some really weird texts last night." She finally said, glancing around the hall again, as Taylor felt the blood drain from his face. "Did you..?" She began, before trailing off, looking over his shoulder as her expression shuttered closed.

Taylor frowned, turning to see a pretty blonde girl walk by, chatting with two friends. "Oh my god, look." She said dramatically, showing her phone to her friends  proudly. "I've been ghosting this guy for like, two solid weeks, and he just asked me out for coffee _again."_

"Oh boy." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes at the blonde as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back against her locker. "Just when you think high school might not be the sucking, necrotic chest wound that you remember..." She said, scowling as the guy next to the blonde laughed, running a hand through his shirt dark hair.

"Bro, desperate is _not_ a good look." The guy snorted, eyeing Zahra only briefly, before they both averted their eyes.

"Maybe he's just not scared of ghosts..." Said a girl with a long, dark ponytail and a scar over one eye, clearly only half paying attention to the conversation. "You could try clowns instead. Lots of people seem to be scared of clowns."

"That's not..." The blonde began, looking over at the dark haired girl with a frown. "Estela, are you even listening to-"

"Hi, Michelle..." Quinn said as they passed, the group pausing in their tracks as the blonde in question turned to give Quinn an appraising look.

"Wow, Quinn, nice look there." She sneered, her lips curling into a malicious grin, even as her caramel eyes flared with guilt. "I hear the 'just outta hospital again' look is all the rage this season."

"I..." Quinn said lowly, averting her eyes and trying hard to hide her hurt flinch. "I just, wanted to say hello..." She muttered, biting her lip as her fingers curled tighter around her textbook.

"And I want a red Ferrari for my birthday." Michelle said brightly, a dangerous leer in her voice as she taunted Quinn. "But, I'll settle for not having to listen to _your_ whiny voice anymore."

Taylor scowled, his hands clenching into tight fists at his side, as he grit his teeth together. _Quinn won't want a scene_... He thought reluctantly, sighing as he forced his hand to relax and ran it through his hair quickly. He turned his back on Michelle and her friends, Estela not even paying attention to what was going on as she gazed down the hall in the opposite direction in obvious boredom. Taylor forced a bright smile to his face, winking as he leaned in closer to Quinn. 

"You know, I am _super_ jealous of how gorgeous you look right now, Quinn." He said, his fingers toying with a curl of Quinn's red hair gently. "I've been thinking of growing my hair out, ya know? But damn, I don't think it will _ever_ be as beautiful as yours..." He said, sighing dramatically.

" _Excuse you_ ," Michelle said hotly, scowling at Taylor as he glanced back over his shoulder at her emotionlessly, noticing her eyes cut sharply to where he still held a curl of Quinn's hair. "But _nobody_ asked for-"

Taylor rolled his eyes, turning back to Quinn with a heavily emphasised roll of his eyes, as he refocused on his conversation with the redhead. "Quinn, you wanna do my hair sometime? I mean, I know there's not a lot can be done with such an unmanageable mane like mine," he said, purposefully giving a dramatic shake of his head and smoothing an imaginary strand of hair from his face, as Quinn bit her lip to contain a fond giggle. "But it'd be nice to think I might not look _quite_ so much like my boring ass dad." He said, throwing her a conspiratorial wink for good measure.

Quinn laughed, unable to help herself as she gazed up at Taylor fondly. "I'd _love_ to!" She said, her radiant smile well worth the effort in Taylors mind. The redhead's cheeks flushed with colour, and she bit her lip again as she lowered her eyes to the floor, shuffling her toe briefly.

"You're boring." Estela sighed, shaking her head as she waited for the exchange to be over, blatantly not interested in their bickering.

"Oh yeah, well-" Michelle began, her cheeks flaring with colour as she scowled at Taylor in irritation, looking almost as if she were about to begin stamping her feet.

 _"Shhhh..."_ Zahra said, smirking as she held up a hand to the blonde. "Witty comebacks aren't you're strong suit, Gold Digger Barbie." She snorted, as Michelle turned her furious glare towards the pierced girl.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting the best in life." She sneered, running her eyes over Zahra disparagingly. "Not that _you_ would know anything about that." She added, raising a brow at Zahra's dark clothing.

"Oh _gee,_ I don't know _how_ I'll cope with your disapproval." Zahra scoffed, flipping the bird at the blonde, as her eyes turned to the jock beside her. "What're _you_ staring at, ya doofus?" She demanded, her expression twisting into an uncomfortable scowl.

 _"Pfft,_ I'm not _staring!"_ He defended, shifting guiltily as he quickly looked away. _"You're_ staring!" He countered lamely, scoffing as he puffed out his chest and glanced back at her briefly. "Why don't you go haunt some other hallway, _freak."_

Zahra gave the jock a long, ponderous look, before quickly reaching forward and plucking a loose hair from his shoulder. "You know, I keep meaning to try out this new curse I found on the internet." She said, a slow and sinister smirk forming as she dangled the hair before the group briefly. "If you feel a burning sensation in your eyeballs, that's normal." She whispered, chuckling darkly as she tucked the hair away out of sight.

"The _hell..!"_ The jock cried, his eyes widening as Zahra waggled her fingers ominously, winking at him before stalking away down the hall.

"Later, _losers."_ She called back to them, raising a hand to Taylor and Quinn, despite not turning to look at them.

"Later..." Taylor called, huffing in find amusement as he watched the sinister girl stalk away.

"Bye, Zahra." Quinn called, biting her lip to hide a grin. She exchanged a glance with Taylor, the pair quickly looking away again to contain their amused giggles.

"Wow Craig, looks like you can kiss goodbye to your eyeballs." Estela snorted, the first sign she had paid any attention to what had passed between them. Craig jumped guiltily upon hearing the other girls dry tease, tearing his eyes away from Zahra as she turned the corner at the end of the hall, just missing her brief glance back to them. 

"Urgh, that weirdo reads _way_ too many vampire novels." Michelle scoffed dismissively, as Taylor turned a frown her way. "With any luck, she'll flunk out and go live in a dirty tree shack like that Ximaedra freak and her freak son."

"You think _everyone_ who isn't you is a freak." Estela said dryly, rolling her eyes with a disinterested sigh. "Can we _go,_ already?" She said, not waiting for a response before she began to walk away.

"... _Rude,_ Z." Craig muttered, glancing back down the hall to where Zahra had disappeared, before moving after Estela. 

Taylor shook his head, turning to grab an extra notebook from his locker. "Well, Michelle, as _lovely_ as this little chat as this has been, we should probably go-"

 _"Oh. My. God_... Is that a _hickey?!"_ Michelle gasped, her tone filled with malicious glee. Taylor flinched and turned sharply, jerking away with a scowl as he felt Michelle's finger poke at the fresh bruises on the side of his neck.

"Hey, personal space, Housewife Barbie!" He growled in frustration, tugging his vest neck higher to cover the dark bruises once more. "Get _offa_ me, ya harpy!"

 _"Pfft,_ yeah right." Craig guffawed, having paused in his tracks at Michelle's incredulous gasp. "Who the hell would wanna chew on _this_ loser?" 

"Aw," Taylor huffed, forcing a cheeky grin to his face despite his urge to scowl at the jock. "For your information, I got it from your dad." He said lightly, as Quinn hid her face behind her textbook and giggled.

"Huh, I thought my dad was in Aspen this week..." Craig said, his eyes wide as he thought of having been lied to by his parent. Taylor snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes, as he closed his locker.

"You should watch what you say, Taylor." Michelle warned, eyeing him with a dangerous glint in her eye, before glancing at Quinn quickly. "That mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble."

"Well, at least it doesn't get me in the kinda trouble _yours_ does, Michelle." Taylor said in a mocking whisper, as the blondes eyes widened at his implication.

"You..!" She gasped, a scowl quickly forming on her face. She grit her teeth suddenly, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she forced a smile to her face which did not meet her eyes. "Whatever. _Fascinating_ as this conversation is, I need to go get ready for the pep rally." She said, jerking her head at the scowling Craig and the bored looking Estela, throwing a final glance at Quinn before stalking away.

Craig shoulder checked Taylor as he passed, knocking him hard against his locker. "Uh, _ow!"_ Taylor growled sarcastically, as he glared after the trio.

 _"Hey!"_ Quinn cried, scowling at the jock angrily as Craig leaned close into Taylors space.

"We'll catch up _later,_ bro." He said, a pleasant grin on his face despite his threatening tone, as he leered at Taylor before drawing away and following his friends.

Taylor winced, rubbing his shoulder where it had slammed into the locker, shaking his head as the terrorizing threesome left him alone with Quinn. "This school year's already off to a _great_ start, huh?"

"Taylor, thank you for standing up for me." Quinn said gently, placing her textbook in Taylors grasp, as she rubbed his shoulder carefully. "But you shouldn't worry about me... I'm not worth getting in trouble ove-"

"Yes you _are,_ Quinn." Taylor said, interrupting the redhead with such a determined tone that she looked up at him in wide eyed shock. "Quin... I'm _so_ sorry, that I haven't been there for you, that I let you struggle on your own with everything you're going through." He said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and drawing her into a light embrace, feeling her hands ball into the back of his vest. "But, I promise, I'm going to be there again _now,_ okay? Starting with the every day, tedious crap like this."

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn mumbled into his shoulder, her voice heavy with gratitude. "You always did know how to make me smile again when I hit rock bottom."

"Well, let's hope its one skill I _never_ lose, huh?" Taylor chuckled, chafing Quinn's shoulder gently. "Come on, beautiful, let's get those long legs of yours moving." He said, laughing when Quinn drew back to slap his shoulder with a playful grin.

"Ooh, you... Keep that up and I might forget I lack the appropriate anatomy to keep your attention, and fall in love with you." She said, smirking when Taylor feigned an outraged expression, his hand over his heart.

"Why Quinn, I'm _shocked_ at you. Shocked." He gasped, before dissolving into snickers and slinging an arm about the redheads shoulders, as the two of them joined the crowd of students shuffling towards the gym. "You know you'll always be my number one gal."

"Unless Zahra's around." Quinn laughed, her eyes bright with amusement as she smiled up at him ruefully.

"Hey, totally different type of love, okay." Taylor defended, jostling her lightly as they dawdled their way along behind the crowd. "You're the light to Zahra's dark, you both complete me." He snickered, glancing up as music blared over the gym speakers. He was struck by a sudden rush of panic as the crowd jostled him and Quinn, his mind flying back to the night before.

 _"Taylor!"_ Quinn cried, bringing his attention back to the present as he inhaled deeply and blinked around the gym, finally looking over at Quinn, as she gazed at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." He coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to brush off his unease. "Just uh, kinda crowded in here. You see anywhere to sit, beautiful?" He asked, distracting Quinn from his brief meltdown as he looked around for an empty space.

"Not really..." Quinn said slowly, frowning at him worriedly, before looking around the gym herself, giving in to his silent request to ignore his obvious distress. "It looks like there are a couple seats up there next to... Oh, never mind. That's Zahra's spot."

"So?" Taylor huffed, jumping on the opportunity to reunite himself with his former friends once more, guiding Quinn gently up the steps to the top row, where Zahra sat scribbling in a worn sketchbook. As Taylor and Quinn paused to let some other students past, they watched some freshman move to sit beside Zahra.

 _"Hisssss..."_ She hissed viciously at them, glaring after the freshman as they scrambled to get away from her, before noticing Taylor and Quinn watching her with apparent amusement. "What?" She asked, her lips twitching in an effort to keep from smiling. She nodded to the empty bench, before looking back down at her sketchbook.

"I think that's our cue to go sit by her." Taylor snickered, waiting for the final students to trickle past them.

"I guess so." Quinn laughed, following Taylors lead as he led her up the steps towards the empty seat by Zahra.

 _Maybe I could talk to them about what happened last night._ Taylor thought, his heart skipping a beat in nervous anticipation, as he approached the sinister girl. _Zahra knows a lot about all kinds of supernatural stuff anyway.._. He reminded himself, swallowing as his palms began to sweat slightly. _God, it'd be nice to tell someone who'd actually believe me._.. He thought, before glancing sidelong at Quinn, frowning and biting his lip suddenly.  _But... Quinn has enough to deal with already, without adding the weight of my stupid troubles to her shoulders._ He thought, frowning as he lost himself in his own mind briefly.

"Oh, my friends are down there..." Quinn said suddenly, looking down to another group who were waving at Quinn, one a dark skinned girl with glasses and an orange jumper. "Do you mind..? We can catch up again later, maybe..?" She asked, looking at Taylor uncertainly.

"You bet we can, beautiful." Taylor said, brushing a quick kiss to the top of her red hair, a relieved grin on his face as she rolled her eyes and began moving away. "And, we so will. Lunch. On me." He added, pointing at her firmly.

"Last of the big spenders." Quinn giggled, backing away with a wave, winking as she turned towards her friends. "It's a date, handsome. Oh!" She paused, turning back and blowing a kiss to Taylor. "And thanks for your help earlier, Taylor... and everything else after."

"Anytime." Taylor said, grinning broadly as Quinn winked again and turned back to her friends. "See you later, beautiful." He said, climbing to the top row of the bleachers and sidling over to Zahra's corner with a cocky grin. He jabbed a thumb at the empty spot right next to her, raising a brow expectantly. "Hey, anyone sitting here?"

"Just my ghost pal, but he's incorporeal so, I guess it doesn't really count." Zahra intoned dryly, glancing up at him to see how he would react. Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he began to laugh. _"What."_ She demanded, as Taylor shook his head and met her gaze with a wry grin.

"Nothing, I'm just imagining the faces of all the people who wouldn't know if you were messing with them or not." Taylor snickered, making a show of examining the empty bench space, before looking back at Zahra's expressionless face.

"It's all part of my mystique." Zahra said as she broke into an amused smirk, watching him intently as Taylor laughed again and purposefully exaggerated his movements around the seat next to her, leaving a person sized space between them.

"Cool." Zahra huffed, clicking her tongue as she ran her eyes over him thoughtfully. "Good to know I can make you do stuff by saying random spooky shit." Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes again, sitting with the sinister girl in a not quite awkward silence for a few minutes, as Zahra returned her attention to scribbling in her sketchbook. "So," she said finally, never once looking up from her page as Taylor glanced over at her. "You gonna tell me what you're so freaked out about? Or are you actually having fun, dismembering that dumb bench?"

"Huh?" Taylor asked, frowning as Zahra flicked her pen towards him quickly. He looked down to realise he'd been picking splinters off the edge of the bleachers. "I... _do_ wanna talk about it. And, I figured you'd be the best person, it's just... kind of a weird story." He hedged, picking at another splinter awkwardly.

"Taylor." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes as she fixed him with a withering gaze, raising a brow as she gestured to herself in pointed emphasis. _"Look_ at me. Weird, is my middle name."

"Really?" Taylor asked, fighting to contain a grin as he glanced up at her slyly. "I thought it was Yasmin..." He laughed, as Zahra visibly bristled and scowled at him firmly. 

"If you _ever_ say that aloud again," she began, as Taylor snorted and watched with amusement as she fumed. "I will go to your house and hide eyeballs in your food."

"Where would you even _get-"_ Taylor began, barely tapering off as his laughter returned too thickly to speak coherently.

"Next time you go to pour a bowl of cereal?" Zahra continued, smirking as Taylor continued to try and stifle his obvious mirth. "Bloop. _Eyeballs."_

"Oh my god, _ahem..."_ Taylor huffed, clearing his throat as he fought to regain control of himself. "Oh... noted." He snorted, revelling in his amusement a moment longer, before he turned his thoughts to the previous night, and he felt the laughter quickly fade from his system. "So..." He began seriously, Zahra cocking her head at his sudden change in demeanour. "What would you say, if I told you that last night, I saw some kind of... _monster?"_ He asked, licking his lips as he finally met her gaze nervously.

"Depends." She said, shrugging her shoulders as she folded her arms over her sketchbook and looked at him with a raised brow. "What'd this monster look like?" 

"Well..." Taylor huffed, exhaling a heavy sigh as he forced himself to think back to the terrifying encounter. "He looked like Diego, at least at first..." He said, his brow furrowing as he glanced around suddenly, scanning the gym for his best friend.

"Whoa, plot twist." Zahra drawled, nodding her head thoughtfully. "Keep going." She ordered, her attention focused on him as Taylor shifted uncomfortably, upon failing to find his best friend in the crowd.

"Well, once I figured out it wasn't actually Diego..." Taylor said, glancing around nervously, before leaning closer to Zahra, though he was careful to avoid her ghost friends personal space. "It attacked me." He whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear his confession. When he was sure nobody was listening, he cleared his throat and pushed on quietly. "Then its face kind of melted off, and underneath the skin was just... dirt. Like a... I don't know..." He said, rubbing a hand through his hair distractedly.

"A golem." Zahra said confidently, narrowing her eyes briefly, before bidding sharply, seeming to have come to some decision.

"A... golem?" Taylor repeatedly, trying to think whether he knew what such a being was. He vaguely recalled something from an old mythology class, but couldn't recall the details. "What's that?" He finally decided to ask, giving up on remembering for himself.

"A humanoid form usually crafted from dirt or clay, animated by a supernatural force." Zahra explained easily, as if she had swallowed an encyclopedia on everything supernatural. Taylor wouldn't put it past her if she had. "Sounds like it fits the bill." She said, concluding her explanation as she looked over at him expressionlessly.

"I guess." Taylor hummed in agreement, frowning as he absently reached for his throat. "The weirdest thing is that I woke up this morning, and it was gone... Why would it just attack me, and then leave?" He asked in exasperation, suddenly having thirty new questions explode into his brain, to replace his previous one.

"Full disclosure, my knowledge of golems is like; sixty percent Wikipedia and forty percent this dude named 'MagicStan-SeventyFive', who I met on a warlock forum..." Zahra warned, her lips twitching in amusement as Taylor rolled his eyes. "Maybe whatever animated the golem is temporary. Or maybe it was all a dream." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Taylor shuddered, glancing around before feeling at his neck again. _"Definitely_ not a dream." He said firmly, meeting Zahra's curious gaze with a determined one of his own. "Dreams don't leave bruises." He said pointedly, as Zahra shrugged again.

"They _can,_ actually." She informed him, her face scrunching thoughtfully. "There are beings who can enter, or even affect your dreams. One of those, could probably use your dreams to hurt you." She paused suddenly, an excitedly gleam entering her scarlet gaze, her specialised contact lenses adding to her sinister aura. "You could also be under a curse or something. I've read a lot about cursed dreams." She said eagerly, successfully drawing Taylor from his growing concerns.

"What, just for fun?" He asked, snickering as Zahra's cheeks coloured and she pointedly averted her eyes, skimming over Craig in the front row unconsciously. 

"Sure, let's go with that." She said dismissively, as Taylor laughed and glanced down at Craig himself briefly.

"You know, Zahra..." He said, smirking as he reached over and offered his fist to her. "I think I'm kinda in love with you, right now."

 _"Pfft,"_ Zahra snorted, laughing as she bumped her fist to his. "If I didn't know how impossible that were for you, I would say I don't blame you. I mean, I am amazing." She sniggered, smirking as Taylor pouted at her. "Unlucky for you, just about the whole school, ne _town,_ knows about _your_ preferences."

"I take no shame in being the only one to stand up and declare myself at that rally." Taylor huffed with a dry laugh, though his cheeks tinged with pink. "I admit though, that I didn't expect the ramifications to last quite this long..."

"You're as humble as me, I see." Zahra snorted, shaking her head in fond exasperation as she rolled her eyes and turned back to her sketchbook. Taylor smiled, allowing a moment of peaceful silence fo settle over them, before scooting closer through Zahra's ghost friend and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, no _touching."_ Zahra scowled immediately, shoving him off as he laughed a d glancing around with her cheeks stained red. "Someone might see me associating with you, loser."

"Thanks, Zahra." Taylor chuckled, moving away again as Zahra smirked down at her lap. "I really needed to talk to someone, but I didn't think anyone would believe me." He said, sighing in relief for having vented the stifling secret of the previous night.

"Hmm." Zahra hummed, scribbling in her sketchbook a moment longer. "Jury's still out on me believing you." She said vaguely, looking up at him skeptically. "You could be making all this up to screw with me."

Taylor frowned, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Do... people do that to you?" He asked, his brow furrowing as he considered how another of his former friends had been treated over the years they'd drifted apart. _And yet, we can talk now as if no time has passed between us_... He thought fondly, a warm glow sparking within his chest.

"They _try,"_ Zahra snorted, a sly grin spreading across her face as she winked at him conspiratorially. "But my kung fu is strong."

"Well," Taylor huffed, shaking his head and grinning back at her. "Then thanks for listening, without immediately dismissing me." He said, feeling the warmth in his chest spread through his veins. "It helps a lot."

"Rad." Zahra said flippantly, tipping her chin at him briefly. "Glad to help." She added, and after a brief pause, Taylor realised she genuine meant it. "Okay, I think I'm done now." She said, sighing as she turned back to her sketchbook.

"Uh, done with..." Taylor prompted, raising a brow at her as she snorted at his blatant prodding.

"Obviously, not you." She said, rolling her eyes as Taylor visibly preened at her. "But you know, being nice." She added quickly, her expression quickly morphing back to her familiar blankness. "See, I've got this whole bitter misanthrope thing going on. If people see us being all friendly, they might think its like, okay to talk to me." She said snidely, glaring at Taylor accusingly as he merely grinned goofily at her.

"Can't have that." Taylor snickered, utterly unaffected by the sinister girls angry scowl.

"I would _literally_ die." Zahra said flatly, turning her glare back to her sketchbook. Taylor laughed quietly, as he picked up his bag from the floor by his feet, and started edging back towards the stairs. "Hey, Taylor." Zahra called suddenly, and Taylor looked back to see her watching him closely.

"Yeah?" He asked, raising a brow at her as she slowly broke out in a rare, genuine smile.

"... You're not as big a tool as most people." She said, surprising another laugh from Taylor as he shook his head at her.

"Coming from _you,_ that means a lot." He snorted, as she nodded her head in proud agreement of his statement.

"Yes, it does." She said seriously, and Taylor felt the warmth again spread through him, slipping from the edge of the bench to the stairs with a huff of fond amusement.

He made his way down the bleachers as they continued to fill, looking for any place he could squeeze in. Finally he spotted one empty one, next to a familiar figure, slouching in the second row. _Oh, crap_... He thought, swallowing thickly as his memories from years before tried to swarm over him. He quickly turned around, desperately scanning the crowd for another open seat, _any_ seat but that one; but to no avail. He briefly considered trying to sneak back out of the gym doors, until someone shouted at him from a few rows higher up.

"Yo, Taylor!" Craig called, scowling as he no doubt recalled Taylors teasing from in the hallway earlier. "Sit your dork ass down, unless you wanna watch from the garbage can!" He growled, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

Taylor scoffed, his expression hardening as he glared at the jock. "I..." He began, before falling silent as Estela sighed and turned her sharp gaze towards him.

"You're blocking our view." She said quietly, and Taylor swallowed heavily at the familiar calm of the strange girl, as she pointed to the seat he'd been trying to avoid. "There's a spot right there." She said blankly, either genuinely unaware of Taylors attempt to avoid the seat, or entirely uncaring and just desiring him to move.

Wincing, Taylor turned back around slowly, to find Raj looking right at him. _"Hey,_ Raj." Taylor said awkwardly, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck to try and hide his discomfort. "Do you mind if..?"

"Knock yourself out, dude." Raj said, scooting his large frame over and allowing Taylor to squeeze in beside him.

"Thanks." Taylor muttered, glancing up at the large, chocolate skinned boy briefly. "So... What's been up with you?" He hedged, clearing his throat as he tried to fight the awkward desire to grab his things and bolt from the gym. "I mean, we haven't really talked since..."

"Yeah..." Raj said, nodding absently, his usual humour blanketed by a thick aura of regret and guilt. "I know." He added, as he and Taylor sat side by side, neither saying another word as they averted their eyes from each other, a pregnant and awkward silence falling over them.

Taylor caught movement from the corner of his eye and he sat slightly straighter as a tall, handsome guy with shocking white hair and a pale complexion walked up to the podium, scowling around the gym imperiously. "Greetings, Westchester High." He said, rolling his eyes as the students roared in response. 

 _"Whoa..."_ Taylor gasped, when the bleachers rumbled and shook beneath him, as the crowd pounded their feet on the wood. "When the hell did Aleister get so..." He paused, tilting his head as he looked around the hall, before appraising the patiently waiting boy at the podium across the gym. _"Hot..?"_ He muttered, coughing briefly in embarrassment, as he heard Raj sigh beside him.

"Yeah, yeah." The large boy said, rolling his eyes as he pulled his long curly hair back and tied it into a bun atop his head, before pulling a large beanie hat over the top. "Everyone loves the tall guy with the cool hair." He sighed, as Aleister waited stoically for the crowd to simmer down.

"Yes, well." The pale boy finally sneered, unfolding his arms from his chest as he gripped and leaned upon the sides of the podium box. "Welcome back, everyone... And Craig." He said, smirking at the outraged 'bro!' which rolled through the gym amid amused snickers. "For any neanderthals who aren't aware already, I am Aleister Rourke, your student body president." He said, straightening to his full imposing height, as he slowly peered around the gym. "I know most of you idiots are inconsolable that your summer playtime is over, but trust me when I tell you, this is going to be one school year; you'll never, forget." He said, pushing away from the podium box and moving beside it, gesturing toward the back of the gym bleachers. "And on that note, let us see in the start of this little pep rally, Westchester Wolf style."

At Aleister's signal, several cheerleaders jumped up from the bleachers, bouncing and waving their pom poms on the air. "You can do better than that!" Cried a lively girl with grey eyes and vivid red hair tied in a high ponytail with a ribbon. She waved her pom poms high over her head as she winked at the students seated in the bleachers before her. "Let's hear it!" She called again, eliciting a loud roar of cheering from the crowd.

"Wow," Taylor breathed, clucking his tongue as he watched her rile up the audience. "Looks like Rebecca's doing pretty well too..." He said, whooping along with the rest of the crowd suddenly to show his support for another of his former friends. One by one, the cheerleaders tumbled across the gym. Rebecca drew thunderous cheers, as she pulled off an effortless roundoff into a backflip, and Taylor shot to his feet as he clapped wildly. _"Whoa!_ That's incredible!" He cried, cheering loudly for the redhead as she grinned at the crowd. 

"Yay." Raj said, waving his hand as if he held an invisible, miniature flag. "Go team." 

Rebecca beamed around the crowd a moment longer, before glancing back at the rest of the cheer squad, her smile suddenly faltering, as she locked eyes with Michelle. Rebecca turned, and suddenly tripped over her own feet, sprawling onto her face. _"Aaahhh!"_ She cried, trying to hide from the sudden burst of laughter in the gym.

 _"Rebecca!"_ Taylor cried, launching into the aisle and hurrying down the steps, leaping the final three to reach Rebecca quicker and help her to her feet. "Oh my _god,_ are you okay?" He asked worriedly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face as she gazed up at him in surprise. "What happened?" He asked quietly, frowning as Rebecca immediately began to shake her head.

"Nothing..." She said quickly, glancing around in barely concealed agitation. "I'm just a klutz, I guess." She said, averting her eyes from Taylor and trying to make herself small so she could hide from the crowd, a fae cry from her usually confident personality.

"You think you're a klutz..?" Taylor said slowly, his brows furrowing deeper, as she refused to meet his eyes. He sighed, pushing aside his suspicions and pasting an encouraging smile to his face, as he shook his head in disbelief. "You did a freaking, kickass backflip!" He said, chafing her arms gently as he tried to catch her eye. "Seriously dude, if that's what a klutz looks like, then sign me up for klutz lessons. I need me some skills like that to get my boring ass noticed."

Rebecca finally gave up trying to hide from him, looking up to meet his gaze with a warm if somewhat exasperated smile. "Thanks, Taylor... You're still a sweetheart." She said fondly, gripping his arm tightly in gratitude for a moment.

"I try." Taylor said lightly, shrugging nonchalantly as he winked at her. She chuckled quietly, allowing him to comfort her by drawing her into a brief hug.

"Hmm, what do you know? Something unexpected happened." Estela's voice called down from.the bleachers, and Taylor looked up with a frown to see her watching them with obvious interest. "I gotta admit, that was an interesting sound her face made, right when it met the floor."

 _"Please_ tell me the school news nerds got that on camera, bro..." Craig laughed loudly, as Taylor scowled and clenched his hand into a tight fist at his side.

Rebecca blushed, pulling away from Taylor as she lowered her eyes and rejoined the rest of the squad. Taylor frowned, moving back to his seat, while at the front of the gym, Michelle stepped forward with a smug smile. "Check _this_ out..." She said, winking at the crowd as she took three running steps, before flying into a no handed cartwheel. The crowd roared around Taylor, as she sticked the landing perfectly, but he couldn't bring himself to join in; instead gazing down at Rebecca's lowered, reddened face.

"Why the _hell_ do people like her so much?" He demanded, forgetting his awkwardness with Raj, as he scowled down at the blonde and shook his head in confusion. "They've gotta know how horrible she is under all that make up."

 _"And?"_ Raj scoffed, digging a small bag of homemade cookies out of his pocket. "She's hot and she can do flips. We can't compete with that." He said, popping a cookie in his mouth and sighing as he began to crunch it loudly.

Aleister smiled politely from the podium, clapping dutifully as the cheerleaders returned to their seats. "Well, now that the cheer squad are done with their little display..." The pale boy said stiffly, gesturing instead towards the gym doors. "Let us give a round of applause, to the Westchester Wolves basketball team." He said reluctantly, as a group of guys in basketball jerseys filed in through the entrance and gathered together in front of the podium.

 _"Awooooooo!"_ Howled a guy whose name Taylor had never bothered to learn, knowing only that he was a huge homophobe, racist and pretty much everything else nasty under the sun.

"Yeah!" Boomed a deep, honeyed voice. "Go Wolves!" They called amid loud cheering, and Taylor turned his gaze to a dark skinned boy he recognised easily, despite being several times larger than he remembered. He smiled as Sean beamed around the crowd, his jersey practically bursting at its seams over his muscles.

"Huh," Raj hummed, looking down at the team in surprise. "Sean _actually_ made the team this year." He said, before popping another cookie in his mouth.

"Good for him!" Taylor cheered, clapping loudly and winking when Sean looked his way and smiled. "It looks like he's been working hard for what he wants!" He said defensively, beaming as he stuffed his fingers in his mouth and whistled at Sean, winking when he saw the large boy shake his head at him ruefully. "I can't wait to see him play!"

"Yeah, I _bet_ that's what you wanna see him do..." Raj huffed, casting a sideways grin at him, as Taylor laughed guiltily, relaxing around the other boy for the first time as Raj finally smiled at him.

He flinched however, as Craig's voice broke through the general applause. "Watch out, it's the _Heisman Traitor!"_

Sean's gaze rose in the direction of Craig's voice, the pair locking into a heated glaring match, as Sean clenched his hand into a ball and firmly glued his jaw shut. The atmosphere turned ominous, as the former quarterback star and his former best friend, glared at each other intently. Finally however, Sean's attention was stolen, by Aleister calling the team captain up to the podium.

"Thanks, Al." The captain said, ignoring the venomous glare he received for the shortening of Aleister's name. "What's up, Westchester High?" He cried, raising both hands to the crowd and earning himself loud whoops and stomps in response. "We've got our first game coming up in a couple days, so you guys had better be here to watch us _crush it!"_ Taylor ignored the team captain, instead watching Sean as he grimaced, clearly finding the fighting talk unnecessary. Taylor bit his lip as he felt his heart go out to his former friend, guessing exactly where his thoughts would have turned to.

"Not gonna lie, we've got a couple rookies on the team this year..." The team captain conceded with a dramatic sigh, his eyes flitting toward Sean briefly before he turned another near manic grin to the crowd before him. "But, I'm not gonna let that stop-"

The team captain paused, as the gyms lights flickered suddenly. "Huh?" He wondered aloud, frowning at the ceiling in wide eyed confusion.

"Oh no..." Taylor murmured, sensing a familiar coldness to the previous night in his heart, as the gym fell entirely into an unnaturally thick darkness. 

Aleister's voice called over the speakers, drowning out the nervous chatter of the other students. "Now, now, you fools, stay seated." He drawled, his words reassuringly calm despite the bite of irritation in them. "We wouldn't want anyone to fall to their doom now, wo- _ksssshhhhhhhkkk!"_ A burst of static cut him off, as the music stuttered, fading in and out of hearing.

A loud bang resounded through the gym, as the far doors were blown open by a frigid gust of wind. Moments later, the lights flickered back on, and Taylor nearly jumped clean out of his seat, as Raj suddenly grabbed his arm.  _"Gah!"_ He yelped, his brow creasing as he turned to the larger boy with a scowl. "What are you-"

"Shut up." Raj breathed lowly, his eyes wide as he stared vacantly toward the front of the gym. "Do you hear that?!" He demanded, his fingers alternately clutching at and releasing Taylors arm.

"Hear  _what?"_ Taylor fumed, attempting to tug his arm free of the other boy.

 _"Ssssshhhhhh!"_ Raj urged, pressing a large finger to his lips as he seemed to both hold his breath and cock his head in horrified curiosity.

Taylor was about to scoff that of course he didn't hear the nothing that wasn't there, when suddenly; he _did_ hear it. He swallowed, glancing at Raj uncertainly, before tuning back into the strange phenomena. Just at the edge if his perception, he heard a sound which snatched all of his breath from his body and left him as cold as ice. "No..." Taylor whispered, shaking his head as he tried to tell himself the things he heard weren't real. "Not _here..."_ He gasped, panic creeping into his heart like wriggling fingers tangling in his hair. 

He looked around, picking out the faces of his former friends in the hall. "What the-" Sean denied, shaking his head from the front of the gym, as he met Taylors gaze.

"This _cannot_ be!" Aleister cried, his eyes wide as he did the same as Taylor and glanced around everyone from where he stood at the front of the gym.

Taylor turned when he heard gasps from a group behind him, to see Quinn looking paler than usual, gripping her textbook tightly as she rocked back and forth slightly. "N-no way..." She muttered repeatedly, shaking her head roughly.

"Oh my _god..!"_ Rebecca's cry had him turning sharply, and he found the other redhead a few seats away in the first row and to his right, her arms clapped tightly to her ears.

"Oh fu-" Zahra's blatant curse rang through the gym, as the music spluttered and died entirely, the lights shutting off completely once more and leaving them trapped in the darkness with only the voice.

A voice, which was at once completely alien; and horribly familiar. _"Everyone..."_ It whispered, as a splinter of terror coursed up Taylors spine. _"Plays..."_ Taylor swallowed thickly, shaking his head as felt his heart lurch fearfully on the darkness, already knowing what the voice would say next. _"Together..."_ As the voice hissed the final word of their old rules, Taylor was swept away by an inescapable tide of memories, to a childhood he had tried to keep from his mind for ten years.


	3. What Are You Afraid Of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I woke up about forty minutes ago and couldnt sleep. I wrote a couple k to finish this off...
> 
> This might be my last post for awhile. Im- not in a good place right now. I have no idea if ive ruined this chapter. No idea if it was any good to begin with tbh... its just been a rough couple days.  
> I hope this isnt spoilt and you can enjoy it - i hope youll let me know either way. I hope i manage to keep going, and see you again soon...
> 
> Im sorry
> 
> x My love to you all x

**3.**

**What Are You Afraid Of?**

_Ten Years Ago..._

Autumn sun sifted through the trees, as Taylor followed one of his best friends deep into the woods. "Dude, where are we going?" He called, his short legs catching on a particularly large tree root, causing him to stumble. _"Hey..!"_ He yelped, catching himself with his arms against the thick trunk, the rough bark scratching against his palms. "Your mom's gonna kill us if she finds out we went this far by ourselves!" He called warningly, frowning after his friend as he reached up to brush aside the red hair which just fell into his eyes. 

"I know..." Called his friend, though their excited tone revealed just how little this fact bothered his friend right then. "But you've gotta _see_ it! Just a li'l further..." They promised, leading the way deeper into the woods, as Taylor huffed and pouted, but followed dutifully behind them.

His friend led him to the edge of a clearing, pointing proudly to a crumbling stone building on the other side. Taylors eyes widened as he stared in awe, drinking in the strange building curiously. Huge pillars supported what may have been a porch like structure, except it had decayed too far to tell for certain. A tree had fallen sideways, but continued to grow, its branches stretching up over what remained of the porch like ledge, and curling through two of the three small windows there. _"Whoa..."_ He breathed, moving to stand beside his gleeful friend, as they peered into the dark entrance curiously. "What is this place?" He whispered, leaning towards his friend, though he didn't take his eyes from the strange, abandoned building.

"Dunno!" His friend chuckled back, turning excited eyes to Taylor, before dipping to scoop up a pebble from the ground. "But watch _this..."_ They said as they rose, winking as they tossed the pebble at the house. Taylor gasped as it sailed straight over the threshold, then stopped suddenly; still suspended in mid air. 

"No _way..."_ Taylor breathed, staring in fascination as the pebble hung in the air for another moment longer, before finally dropping straight down to the ground. "That is so _awesome!"_ He cried, his fear of his friends mother forgotten, as he was overcome with excitement. "Lemme try!" He said eagerly, quickly picking up his own pebble and chucking it into the decrepit doorway. It hit the same invisible barrier as his friends pebble had, pausing in the air briefly, before dropping straight to the ground. "So _cooool..!"_ He cheered, exchanging a giggling high five with his friend, as they stared at the long abandoned and overgrown house. "I wonder what's inside." He said suddenly, an excited grin which revealed his latest missing tooth, spreading across his face.

"Inside?" His friend choked, their eyes widening in surprise. "W-we can't go _inside!"_ They cried, eyeing the building dubiously, before turning to Taylor in nervous disbelief.

"How come?" He asked, his toothy grin remaining as he waggled his eyebrows playfully. "It's not like anyone lives here anymore. Look," he said, pointing to where a tree protruded through the decrepit building. "There's holes in the roof."

"What if you're wrong?" His friend asked, biting their lip uncertainly as they glanced around, as if expecting someone to jump out and scare then away from the house at any moment. "What if we get in trouble?" They added lowly, wringing their hands together as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes.

"More than we will for coming out here in the first place, you mean?" He asked, sniggering as his friend ignored him, while they both continued to stare at the house.

"What if something... _bad_ happens?" His friend whispered, as if scared to be overheard. Taylor finally looked over at them, to see they'd balled their hands into tight little fists to keep from wringing them, though their lower lip still trembled.

"Hey..." Taylor said suddenly, smiling as his friend turned towards him. "You got your birthday present with you?" He asked, feeling a hopeful excitement flicker through his chest. His friend sniffled and nodded, reaching beneath their collar to pull out an old whistle, hanging from a necklace chain. "Good!" Taylor said, eyeing the whistle fondly, as he thought back to his friends recent birthday. "Do you remember what I said, when I gave it to you?"

"Th-that if I ever get scared, I should blow on the whistle and... you'll come and protect me." His friend said, blushing faintly as they peeked up at him from beneath long lashes. They took a deep breath and raised the whistle to their lips, blowing a high trill which rose and fell, as it echoed through the clearing. "Hee..." They giggled, biting their lip to contain their fond grin.

"You're one of my best friends ever, dude." Taylor said, offering his fist and bumping it to his friends when they returned the gesture. "I'm not gonna let _anything_ bad happen to you." He promised, glancing back to the ruins eagerly. He could almost hear the stones calling, reaching fir him. His feet shuffled in place, itching to close the distance, before looking at his still unconvinced friend. He hesitated, before he broke out Inna sly grin, holding his hands behind his back as he rocked on the balls of his feet and feigned a heavy sigh of remorse. "But... but if you're too scared, we can just go ho-"

" _I'm not scared_!" His friend snapped immediately, scowling over at Taylor, as they took the bait as he had known they would. The fierceness faded from their expression, their eyes again clouding with uncertainty, as they stepped closer to him. "Just... promise me you'll watch out for me?" They asked, their voice unusually small in their hesitance.

 _"Promise!"_ Taylor said proudly, puffing his small chest out as he flashed his toothy grin. "I'll even go first." He giggled, as his friend rolled their eyes and huffed in exasperation and resignation combined. With his heart thrumming excitedly in his chest, Taylor walked straight up to the doorway, reaching out to feel the space inside.

"I-is there something there?" His friend called in a loud whisper, their footsteps slowly crunching closer over the undergrowth just behind him. "Does it hurt?" They asked worriedly, as Taylor's eyes widened.

"It feels..." He breathed, looking at his hand in awe, as what felt like a small electrical current tickled his hand. _"Tingly."_ He settled on, cocking his head as he raised his eyes to the darkness beyond his hand. He took a deep breath, and as he stepped into the threshold the tingling spread over his whole body, before stopping suddenly. He smiled widely, and continued into the dark room beyond.

Darkness surrounded him like a fog, almost thick enough to touch. Taylor shivered, his smile faltering as he suddenly became certain that there was something in there with him. Watching him. "H-hello?" He called, his voice small and lacking the confidence he'd shown when convincing his friend it was a good idea to explore the abandoned house. His words echoed strangely in the hollow space, and the voice which returned to him; was not entirely his own.

"... _hellLOoo..."_  

"Is... someone there?" Taylor called, squinting ahead of himself blindly and wishing he could make out anything beyond the thick darkness. "What's your name?" He tried again, frowning as he tried to see any kind of light through the gloom.

"... _nnnnaaaame..?"_

Taylor gasped as the leaves at his feet blew aside, brushing against his slightly too long trouser cuffs on the ground. A light seemed to seep through the darkness, illuminating a small patch of smooth, gray stone where the leaves had been. His eyes widened, for as he watched thin lines began to appear in the hard surface. Taylor swallowed, raising his gaze as the light faded, and he was left again in the gloom. "Redfield..." He said slowly, frowning as he considered the name, totally unfazed by the mystical and potentially ominous way it had appeared before him. "Sounds cute!" He said, breaking out in his toothy grin again as his nose wrinkled in amusement. "Hee hee! Like a teddy bear!" He giggled, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he looked around the darkness in curiosity. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Red! I'm Taylor!"

 _"Taylor..."_ The echo repeated, a dry rasp among the shadows. Taylor smiled and hummed in affirmation, his excitement returning as his eyes slowly began to adjust to the dark room. Squinting again, ge was just able to make out what looked like stairs in the far corner, which disappeared into a jagged hole in the floor.

"Taylor..?" His friend called from outside, sounding nervous and concerned about his long absence. "Is it safe? Who are you talking to?" They called worriedly, though Taylor was distracted from replying by something in the darkness.

"Hang on a sec..." He called back towards the entrance, shuffling carefully towards the stairs, where he thought he saw something glinting. "I think there's something-" Wind suddenly howled up through the hole in the floor, knocking Taylor clean off his feet. _"Aaaaahhhhh!"_ He cried, rolling to his front and scrabbling desperately for something to hold onto. The wind reversed direction, slowly dragging Taylor toward the abyss as he cried out fearfully. He dug his fingers into a crack in the floor, just barely resisting against the harsh pull.

 _"Taylor?!"_ His friend yelled desperately, and Taylor looked up to see them illuminated in the entranceway, staring after him fearfully.

 _"Run!"_ Taylor screamed back urgently, and his heart leaped with relief as he saw his friend turn and try to run away as he'd demanded through the doorway. However moments later he cried out in dismay, as the unnatural wind howled after them, snatching them up before they'd even made it three steps.

 _"Yiiieeeeee!"_ His friend cried, as they slid past him, scrambling for purchase on the uneven floor.

 _"No!"_ Taylor yelled over the howl of the wind, as his friend managed to pause their own journey to the abyss as he had, though their necklace chain broke with a sharp snap in the process. Within seconds, the whistle vanished down the hole in the floor.

"Taylor!" His friend gasped, their sad gaze turning towards him as they struggled against the wind. "I c-can't hold on! I'm... _slipping!"_ They choked, as they began to cry.

Seeing his friends tearful face so terrified, Taylors fear suddenly ignited into anger. Furious, he scowled over his shoulders into the howling darkness behind them. " _Stop it, Mr. Red_!" He screamed, his every word dripping with hateful vehemence. " _Stop it right now, or else.._." He yelled, pausing as he sucked in several sharp gasps of air between furious growls. " _Or else my friends are gonna come and burn your stupid house down_!" He screamed suddenly, and as soon as the furious words left his mouth; the wind died, and the house fell still at last. Cautiously, Taylor pushed himself up, while his friend sobbed quietly a few feet away, still clinging tightly to the floor.

"Hey..." He murmured, hurrying to his friends side. "Hey, c'mon! Let's get out of here." He said, his heart swamped by guilt as his terrified friend looked up at him with a tear streaked face.

"M-my whistle..." They sniffled weakly, glancing back towards the ominous hole in the floor, as they sat up and allowed Taylor to wrap his arms around them. "It took my whistle..."

"I know..." Taylor panted, his throat sore from his screaming into the darkness. "But we've gotta go, before it changes its mind, and takes _us_ too!" He said urgently, brushing his sweat soaked hair from his eyes.

His friend nodded as they let Taylor pull them to their feet, before the two of them sprinted out the front door into the blazing sunlight beyond, holding hands tightly as they raced away from the house. At the edge of the clearing, Taylor couldn't resist pausing to look back one final time. He panted, eyeing the ruins dubiously as they sat still and quiet, showing no signs of life at all. "Taylor, come _on!"_ His friend pleaded, tugging at his hand urgently, before giving up and moving further away from the abandoned house.

Taylor swallowed thickly, blinking as if just awakening out of a strange daydream. "Coming..." He muttered, finally turning away to hurry after his friend. Behind him, he could hear a soft whistle rise and fall, as it echoed through the clearing.

_Present day..._

Taylor shook his head, exhaling a shaky sigh as he tapped his foot against the side of his desk nervously. For the remainder if the day, ever since the terrifying experience during the pep rally, his mind had been racing with thoughts and feelings he'd tried his best to repress for the past decade. He glanced around the room as he scrubbed his hand over his jaw, confirming for the hundredth time that Diego wasn't in class. His heart lurched, his thoughts returning to the panicked texts he'd received from Diego. He thought back to the first terrifying experience in that house, where he and his friend had barely managed to escape; and of course, he thought of him.

 _If Redfield is really back... then Diego is in danger_. He panicked internally, worrying his lip as he did another quick, futile sweep of his class. _And we have to help him_. He thought, firmly telling himself that he wasn't terrified by the very thought of having to return to the woods.

"Now," called the science teacher Mrs. Montoya, from the front of the class. "If you could all turn to page one oh two in your textbooks..." She said, turning away to begin writing on a large white board. Taylor glanced around the room again, before slipping his phone from his pocket, relived he had been able to charge it briefly during the previous class. He held it beneath his desk and quickly opened up a new group text.

 **This is Taylor. We need to talk.** He sent, biting his lip and wincing when he broke the skin. He glanced up to see Mrs. Montoya was still busy, her back still turned to the class.

 **Hey Taylor**. Quinn sent, his phone vibrating silently in his hand as he looked back at the screen. He was relieved to see the redhead reply, glad she wasn't too shaken to respond.

 **Yo.** Zahra replied, with no further elaboration. Taylor furrowed his brow, half tempted to simply get up and leave his class. If what they all now suspected was real, then he didn't think attending class should be too high on his list of priorities.

 **Sup.** Raj's reply made Taylors heart lurch, and he knew the large boy would be the most shaken after the mornings upheaval. He rubbed his arm absently, recalling the sudden and intense grip of the large boy.

 **Whoa, what the hell Stalker Boy, how did you get my number???** Rebecca demanded, and Taylor rolled his eyes as he fought to keep himself from snickering aloud.

 **Bathroom cubicle on the third floor**. He sent back, smirking as he imagined her outrage. He felt a brief flicker of guilt, knowing he shouldn't take such amusement from the childish prod, but he also couldn't resist; it had been a fair while since he'd seen the redhead lose her cool.

 **What the hell??! You go and scrub it off, right now or so help me I WILL END YOU.** Rebecca replied, and Taylor couldn't contain his brief chuckle, quickly hiding his phone and burying his nose in his textbook, as Mrs. Montoya turned around for a moment. He kept half an eye on the suspicious teacher, waiting until she turned to continue her writing, before quickly grabbing his phone again.

 **Dude, I'm kidding. It's on your facespace**. He sent, his lips twitching as he reread the girls obviously furious message. He shook his head, snickering as he imagined her both irritated and relieved by his confession.

 **Wow, creeper much. Also, I hate you.** She finally replied, and Taylor bit his finger, finding the tease to be well worth the effort for her reactions.

 **No you don't**. He sent confidently, even attaching a winking emoji to the end of his message. He grinned lopsidedly, able to imagine her frustrated huff and reluctant grin.

 **No... I don't**... Rebecca sent back, with a weary sighing emoji. Taylor couldn't help the snort of laughter which escaped him, and he hurried to cover the sound by coughing into his palm. Mrs. Montoya glanced at him, but paid him no mind, as she immediately returned her attention to her detailed notes. Taylor grinned as he felt his phone vibrate in his lap, glancing around quickly before returning his eyes to his screen.

 **Taylor, what'd you wanna talk about**? Sean had sent, refocusing Taylor to his original point, rather than bantering with Rebecca. His fingers hovered over the keys, not really wanting to type the words, but knowing he had to.

 **The pep rally.**.. He sent quickly, before he could stop himself. After a long pause of determined silence, he scowled at his phone, already knowing what everyone was doing. **Don't pretend you don't know what I mean.** He sent, attaching an irritated emoji to the message for emphasis. For a moment, he thought everyone was going to continue ignoring him, but then he was surprised by a message from the person he least expected to reply.

 **When and where you wanna meet, doodlejump**? Raj asked, and Taylor felt conflicted by the guilt and relief which swelled in his heart for the large boys support.

 **By the fountain**. He quickly replied, glancing up at the clock on the wall above the white board. **After school**. He quickly typed out, sending the message off after the first.

 **Can't. I've got practice until six**. Rebecca replied, almost instantly. Taylor scowled at the screen, about to accuse her of being deliberately difficult, when another message pinged into the chat.

 **Same.** Sean said, and Taylor grit his teeth, looking over to the window as he swallowed down his frustration, wondering if Diego even had that long to wait for them. His phone vibrated in his hand, and he glanced back st the screen to see a new message waiting for him. **Meet after?**

 **Guys this is serious**. He sent back, his hand clenching around his phone as he tried to hold back the fear which was trying to wheedle its way into his heart. _Diego... Please be okay. I can't lose you too._ He thought, swallowing thickly at the tide of emotions which welled up within him.

 **I can't just ditch, we have a game coming up!** Sean defended himself, and Taylor had to ball his hand into a tight ball, to keep from viciously reminding his friend how unlikely it was he would even be allowed to play in the game. He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and forced himself to relax slowly, finally slamming his fingers against the keys to type out a reply.

 **Fine. We meet at six.** He sent, frowning as guilt and nausea churned within his gut. _Hold on, Diego_. He thought, hoping that maybe he might be able to stop by his friends house on the way home to find he had simply been out sick all day. _But then he would have replied to at least one of my texts_...  _unless, maybe he's sleeping?_ He thought, biting his lip again and wincing at the sharp sting from the open wound he'd made.

 **See ya there, doodlejumps**. Raj text back and Taylor sighed, as he moved to run a hand through his hair, only to pause when his phone vibrated again. **Oh hey dude, I think you forgot to add Aleister to this group.**..

 **Oh crap, you're right**. Taylor cursed silently, frustrated he had forgotten to add the pale boy to their chat. **Hang on, let m-** Taylor was almost finished writing his text, when his phone died again. _"Augh!_ What the _hell-"_ He growled in frustration, scowling at the blank screen hatefully.

"Taylor. Nice of you to volunteer." Mrs. Montoya called, as Taylor snapped his head up guiltily to find her watching him knowingly, her arms folded over her chest as she stepped to the side of her desk. "Since you're so obviously paying attention, perhaps you'll know the answer to my question..." She said, pausing expectantly as Taylor internally panicked and tried to recall even the briefest snippet from his class.

 _"Uhhh..."_ He finally floundered, throwing the teacher what he hoped was a winning grin as his classmates began to snicker. Mrs. Montoya stared Taylor down, utterly unaffected by his attempt to win her over.  He cleared his throat and puffed his cheeks out sheepishly, as Aleister caught his eyes from a few rows up. The pale boy raised a brow, and then rolled his eyes as he slipped his hand beneath his desk and opened it toward him. From the angle Taylor sat at, he could just make out the words scrawled across Aleister's palm, as the pale boy continued to write in his textbook with his other hand, very picture of perfect indifference. _"Ahem..._ C-U-S-O-four... Copper sulfate..?" He coughed awkwardly, attempting to appear confident as Mrs. Montoya raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you certainly kept us in suspense there, Taylor..." She said at last, eyeing him firmly for a moment longer, before finally looking back to her board. "But, you are correct." She said, just as the bell began to ring. "Class dismissed, do not forget your assignments are due in a week." She called firmly, as all around them, students began to hurriedly pack up their things. 

Taylor quickly slipped from his seat, making his way over to Aleister hurriedly, only for Mrs. Montoya to beat him there. "Mr. Rourke, a word?" She said, as Aleister dipped his head respectfully.

"Of course." He said, never even glancing at Taylor as he looked after the pale boy worriedly, before turning back to his desk to collect his things. He slung his bag over his shoulder and moved out into the hall, where he leaned against the wall near an outlet, charging his phone again while he waited and kept an eye out for Aleister.

"Stupid phone..." He muttered, scowling at the device in his hand. "I _just_ charged you. Talk about greedy." He complained, as the hallways emptied around him and everyone headed home for the day. He looks around at the rapidly decreasing body of students, wondering vaguely what it might be like to have parents waiting eagerly for their child to return, before brushing the entire concept aside. _I'm too old to be wishing for the kind of everyday family these assholes all have._ He thought, shaking his head and snorting in amusement. As he waited in the hall, he gradually became aware of muffled voices inside the classroom he'd come from.

"... and I _know_ what you're doing-" he heard Mrs. Montoya say gently but firmly, as Taylors brow slowly furrowed in confusion.

"... really, don't know what you're talking about, ma'am" Aleister drawled, sounding both hostile but respectful at the same time, a talent Taylor expected he would never quite master.

"You may have everyone else fooled young man, but you _can't_ fool me." Mrs. Montoya continued, as Taylor hovered indecisively against the wall by the outlet.

"What the hell is going on in there..?" He wondered, his curiosity about his former close friend thankfully distracting him from his melancholy over his home life, or lack thereof. _I should probably move away_... He thought, biting his lip as he gazed at the door longingly, wishing he could hear more so he might be able to help the pale boy, should it turn out he was in trouble. _I've never really been very good at sticking to what I should do._ He thought, shivering as a familiar decrepit building flashed behind his eyes. _And the consequences of that have been pretty severe at times... So I think I'll just, give Aleister some privacy. He wouldn't want me to hear this anyway._ He finally sighed, unplugging his phone and stooping down to collect his bag, preparing to move further away from the door; when cold hands suddenly grabbed him from behind, covering his eyes.

 _"There_ you are..." A voice whispered sinisterly, as Taylors heart stuttered in shock and fear.

 _"Aaaaahhh!"_ He gasped, panic flooding his body as he struggled wildly against the strong hold of his captor, as he was dragged down the hall. _"Nooo!_ Let me _go!_ Let-" his desperate shouts turned to a gasp of pain, as he was shoved backwards into a wall. He heard a deafening slam, followed by muffled laughter. "Wha- _hey!"_ He gasped, squirming to try and free himself from the small enclosed space he suddenly found himself in.

"Oh my _god,_ you should totally see your face right now..." A voice laughed mockingly, as Taylor felt a rush of fury race through him, understanding blooming.

"School's back in session, Taylor!" Craig growled, as Taylor slammed his hands against the locker door they'd locked him in.

"Urgh, let me out, you assholes!" He yelled, scowling through the slats as the trio of bullies watched him struggle.

"You should let him go." Estela sighed, leaning against the opposite wall and clearly not as invested in the exchange as Craig and Michelle. "You've had your fun, he was scared. Can we _go_ now?" She asked, sighing in boredom.

"Aw, but we're just making sure his school year starts with a _bang!"_ Michelle commented lightly, stepping forward to kick the locker door; causing Taylor to yelp and cover his ears.

"Get comfy in there, bro." Craig snorted, grinning as he banged his fist against the door. "We'll come check in on you... tomorrow morning." He laughed, as he and Michelle moved away from the locker.

 _"Finally."_ Estela sighed, pushing away from her spot against the far wall and moving to follow her friends. She hesitated and Taylor scowled as she met his eyes through the slats of the locker, a hint of confliction in her gaze, before it faded and the girl turned away.

Craig and Michelle's laughter receded down the hallway, Estela's quiet footsteps hidden beneath their noise, leaving Taylor alone in the dark, cramped space. After several minutes of pushing, punching and swearing, the locker door still wouldn't budge, and Taylor slumped against the back wall in defeat. "Great. Just _perfect."_ He growled scathingly, scowling as he banged his head back against the wall in irritation. _I finally get the balls to ask everyone to meet, they finally agree, and I'm gonna miss the while damn thing because of an asshole who's got hurt feelings because his best frien-_

 _"Taylor..."_ Called a voice from the hallway, and Taylor rolled his eyes as he snorted in frustration.

"What _now?"_ He snapped, folding his arms over his chest irritably as he glared at the locker door before him. "You losers think of some more fun ways to torture me?" He demanded hotly.

" _More... fun_..." The voice repeated, and Taylor felt the first tendril of unease claw slowly at his heart, though he buried the feeling beneath his anger.

"Get lost already, Craig." He growled, slamming his palm against the locker door, and wincing at the loud bang which reverberated around him. "I'm not bloody scared of you! You're just a-"

Taylor gasped, as with a great bang, the entire locker began to shake around him. Shadows all around seemed to thicken, eating away at his anger to leave only the fear he'd buried beneath it. The air grew older, as the shadows closed in on him. Taylors heart raced, as he looked around himself, suddenly understanding what was truly happening. "N-not scared." He muttered, closing his eyes tightly and balling his hands into fists, leaning forward against the locker door. "I'm not scared..." He said, willing himself to believe the words. As a flash of an old, abandoned house in the woods flashed in his mind, Taylor felt his fear once more burn away into fury, and he opened his eyes to slam his fists against the locker door. " _I'm_ _not scared!"_ He yelled, only to cover his eyes quickly with his arms, as a flash of bright light blinded him.

"Wh-" he gasped, lowering his arms slowly to find himself staring around at a large expanse of woodland, the area having a familiar alluring, yet ominous feel to them.

"I'm _not_ scared!" Roared a voice from behind him, and Taylor spun around, his eyes wide as he beheld his childhood friend staring up at him; their small hands balled tightly into fists. Behind them, the ruins loomed against a backdrop of twisted trees.

"What the..." Taylor breathed, returning his gaze to the small child before him, his heart pounding as he stared at then longingly. _This can't be..._ He thought as he swallowed heavily, knowing all too well why it couldn't be real, but unable to help the panicked sense of protectiveness which swelled within him. "C'mon, we have to leave!" He cried, trying to reach out to his friend, only to find his body frozen in place. Night crept over the woods, as he struggled against his invisible prison.

His small friend watched him with huge, sad eyes as darkness bled from the doors and windows of the stone house, shadowy tendrils reaching out toward them. "Promise you'll watch out for me?" They whispered, as Taylor slumped against his invisible bindings, his heart breaking as he stared down at the child in desperate yearning a d guilt.

"I..." He choked, swallowing back his tears as he watched the tendrils of darkness curl ominously about his friends feet. "I didn't know what would happen..." He whispered brokenly, crying out suddenly as the darkness suddenly grabbed hold of his friend, snatching them back toward the ruins.

 _"Taylor!"_ They screamed, their small hands reaching out to him desperately, as the darkness swallowed them; before shadows exploded outward, a black hurricane howling towards him.

"No!" Taylor cried, closing his eyes as the darkness swirled around him, cutting off all his senses of the outside world. _"Please!_ I'm sorry!" He cried, his hands rising to cover his face as he wept guiltily as he hadn't for almost ten years. " _I'm so sor_ -" he began in a hoarse whisper, only to break off suddenly when his vision was flooded with light.

Taylor gasped frantically for air, as the locker door sprang open and he fell face first onto the hard floor. As his panic began to recede, he slowly realised that someone was kneeling over him. _"Aleister..!"_ He gasped, gazing up at the concerned face of his pale, one time friend. He felt his heart stutter in relief, and he grabbed for the pale boys hand, panting for breath as he flashed the other boy a grateful grin. "My _hero!"_

"Indeed." Aleister said, rolling his eyes, though his lips twitched in amusement. "Sir Aleister, at your service, idiot." He snorted, as Taylor  grinned goofily in his palpable relief. Aleister helped Taylor to his feet, allowing him to brace himself against the pale boy, until the shaking in his legs had finally ceased.

"How'd you get the door open?" Taylor asked by way of distraction, his heart still thrumming with left over adrenaline, the nightmare vision of his young friends huge, sad eyes seared into the back of his eyelids; flashing within his mind whenever he blinked.

"I've been telling the school for years that they need to replace these old lockers." Aleister sneered, looking over the various metal doors, discreetly giving Taylor a chance to regain his composure. "Anyone can open them, if they know the trick." He said, glancing back at Taylor with a brief twitch of his lips. "I suppose its just as well they never took my advice after all."

"Definitely." Taylor agreed, beginning to dust himself off. _"Very_ lucky for me. I hereby approve of the schools ignoring your advice." He said with a smirk, as Aleister huffed in vague amusement. Taylors smile faltered, as the pale boy glanced at his watch and heaved a weary sigh. "Late to something?" He asked gently, his brow furrowing in concern, as he watched Aleister's expression shutter closed, sealing his emotions away behind his perfectly blank facade.

"Merely a lot to do, as always. This place is severely lax in any proper student council work." Aleister said stiffly, sweeping his gaze over Taylor critically, before glancing back to the locker he'd helped him escape from. "Would you care to report this incident? I can escort you to the office, if you wish."

"I'm good," Taylor said, running a hand through his hair as he looked down to where his face had made intimate contact with the floor briefly. "Not like it'd do any good anyway. But..." He said, raising his eyes to Aleister, as he worried his sore lip nervously. "There's actually something _else,_ I... need to talk to you about." He said hesitantly, his discomfort growing in the face of Aleister's unflinchingly stoic expression.

"Then, perhaps we may walk and talk?" Aleister suggested, raising a brow at him as he half turned away. "I still have several things which I must take care of, before I may head out." 

Taylor nodded, quickly grabbing his things from where he'd dropped them during his abduction, before the two of them set off down the hall at a brisk pace. "So, uh..." Taylor coughed, clearing his throat when Aleister pointedly remained silent as they walked. "It's about what happened, at the pep rally..."

"Hm? Oh, the blackout?" Aleister asked distractedly, briefly waving a dismissive hand in Taylors direction. "No need for concern. I have already compiled a maintenance report." He said, rolling his eyes with a snort. "Can't have the lights going out during the big basketball game, after all." He sneered sarcastically.

Taylor frowned at Aleister's formal, almost rehearsed response, barely managing to keep up with the taller boys long stride, despite his own long legs. "And the voice?" He asked, looking up just in time to see the briefest flicker of emotion pass through Aleister's clear blue eyes.

"I... have no idea what you're babbling about." The pale boy finally drawled, shrugging his shoulder dismissively.

"But-" Taylor protested, only to cut off abruptly as Aleister raised a hand to him and promptly disappeared into the auditorium. Taylor scowled after the elusive boy, his temper simmering as he exhaled heavily. He shook his head, and followed Aleister inside, leaning against the wall as he watched Aleister wave in greeting to a group of band kids on the stage.

"Yes, yes, excellent improvement from last week." Aleister called, before gesturing to his watch and glaring around the group sternly. "Just make sure you're finished and have cleared up after yourselves by quarter to four, remember?" He said, scowling at a snickering student until they wisely lowered their gaze. "The Drama club needs time to set up for their own slot." He said, as Taylor finally pushed away from the wall and stepped into Aleister's line of sight.

"Aleister, _listen_ to me." He demanded, pleased when a flicker of surprise passed over Aleister's expression, as he looked down at Taylors frowning expression. "Diego might be in _danger."_

"Diego..?" Aleister queried, frowning as he tried to place the familiar name. Taylor felt his expression darken, his hand curling into a fist as he fought the urge to give up on decorum and just begin yelling at his former friend. _"Soto?"_ Aleister scoffed suddenly, sneering as he shook his head dismissively. "I've not even spoken to him for years, let alone-"

"You _sure_ about that?" Taylor demanded, recalling that morning when Quinn had mentioned receiving strange texts the previous night. He took a twisted sense of glee from the slip in Aleister's stoic façade, leaving the pale boy looking rattled; and even more so, when his phone began to buzz in his pocket.

"I, _ahem..."_ Aleister coughed, digging his phone out as he tried to recompose himself. "I have to take this." He said at last, glancing at the screen briefly. "Excuse me." He said, slipping around Taylor and hurrying out a side door.

Taylor growled, scowling as he silently fumed to himself. _Why even bother, he clearly doesn't care about Diego. None of them do!_ He thought viciously, startling himself with his own temper. He sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair, blinking as he tried to push away the hot anger which seemed to bubble beneath his skin. _Regardless... Diego would want me to help them, if they were the ones in danger. I owe it to all of them. All of this was my fault... But, I can't do this alone. If I can just make sure Diego is okay, then maybe I can figure out what to do from there by myself.._. He thought, drawing in a deep breath to steady himself, before hurrying after Aleister again. 

By the time he finally caught up to the pale boy, he was already in the middle of a phone call. "Yes, aunt Iris, I know the college prep is tonight; but we've _talked_ about this." Aleister sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose. Taylor took a step back, sensing the pale boys rapidly unravelling temper, and not wishing to be in the firing line. _"Because,"_ Aleister finally snapped, after listening for a long moment, his expression twisting with fury. "I have to meet with the homecoming and yearbook committee's after school, and I _cannot_ be in three places at once!"

Taylor averted his eyes as Aleister sighed, gripping the strap of his bag, unable to fight off the curiosity as to what it might be like, to have family so invested in his life. _But they'll never be interested, because they can't forgive me for-_

"I _know,_ aunt Iris, I know." Aleister said wearily, unknowingly drawing Taylor out of his dangerously intimate thoughts, much to Taylors relief and gratitude. "Yes, I... _ahem,_ I love you too. Goodbye." Aleister said stiffly, ending the call with a deep sigh.

Taylor waited a moment, before slowly approaching the pale boy. "Damn," he said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, as Aleister startled in surprise. "You really _are_ busy, huh? You know, if you would just _slow down_ for a second-"

"I am fairly confident the school would quite literally collapse upon itself." Aleister drawled, cutting Taylor off with an amused twitch of his lips. His phone buzzed again in his hand, and he looked down at the screen with another weary sigh. "Oh, just _wonderful."_ He groaned, running a hand over his immaculate hair. "Now the school paper says they need an interview... _Tomorrow?!"_ Aleister balked, staring at his phone in wide eyed disbelief, before his expression morphed into a furious scowl. "What the devil are those incompetent morons _thinking?_ Leaving such a thing til the last minute!" 

Aleister's words began to flow faster and faster, growing louder as he paced back and forth in obvious agitation. "How on earth am I supposed to prepare for an interview by _tomorrow?!"_ He demanded furiously, snarling whenever he rechecked the message on his phone to be certain he hadn't misread the text. "I cannot contend with such irresponsible _negligence_ right now!"

"Whoa, Aleister! _Calm down_!" Taylor yelped, waving his arms as he stepped forward to force the pale boy to a stop. "Stop! Just, _breathe_ for a second, dude..." He said, putting his hand on Aleister's shoulder tentatively and looking up to meet his eyes. 

"Taylor, you're touching me." Aleister muttered, purposely avoiding Taylors gaze as he continued to stress about the interview. _"Why_ are you touching me? This is another of your 'human interaction' things isn't it?"  he muttered vaguely, as Taylor snorted in amusement.

"Look, dude. Just focus on me, okay?" He said, ignoring Aleister's muttered ramblings and gently taking hold of Aleister's other shoulder as well. "Deep breath _in..."_ He said as he took a long, slow breath in demonstration, freeing both hands when Aleister rolled a withering glare his way and motioning for the pale boy to follow his lead. Finally Aleister sighed and turned his eyes to the sky, sensing it would be quicker for him to do as Taylor asked than to fight him. He drew in a sarcastically deep breath as Taylor had, and held it, pointedly raising a brow at Taylor for his next instruction, his lips twitching in amusement despite his sardonic expression.

" _Good boy_." Taylor smirked mockingly, laughing quietly when Aleister rolled his eyes at him. "Now back out, nice... and slow." He said, as Aleister finally exhaled heavily.

 _"Aaaaahhhh..."_ The pale boy sighed in exaggerated dramatics, shaking his head in rueful amusement as Taylor made him repeat the breathing exercise a few more times. Finally he flapped a hand at Taylor and straightened his flawless sweater.

"Better?" Taylor leered knowingly, grinning widely as Aleister scoffed and continued to check over his immaculate clothes, avoiding Taylors gaze.

"I admit I feel... A little more myself." He reluctantly confessed, clearing his throat as his cheeks stained pink with embarrassment for his emotional display, though Taylor tactfully said nothing about it.

"Good." He said, clearing his throat as he cocked his brow thoughtfully. "Now, about this interview... Maybe, it'd be less stressful, if I helped you prepare? We can grab a coffee down the street, and I can throw you some softball questions." He offered, as Aleister hummed, clearly considering the offer. "I've been meaning to catch up with you anyway... It's a perfect excuse for me to ask all kinds of nosy stuff." He said, shrugging as he avoided Aleister's piercing gaze.

"Hmm, and I'm sure you have no ulterior motives in helping me." The pale boy drawled knowingly, as Taylor winked and grinned guiltily. "Well, regardless... It would be a great help." Aleister said finally, raising a brow as he looked Taylor over curiously. "Are you sure you don't mind? If you need to head home, I can study later tonigh-"

"No." Taylor said, shaking his head as he looked at the floor to hide the shame in his eyes. "There's nobody home anyway, so... I've got nothing 'til six." He said, clearing his throat as he shrugged his bag higher on his shoulder and plastered a grin to his face. "C'mon, let's do it!" He said, as Aleister frowned at him with apparent concern. _"But..._ you have to promise to hear me out for five minutes when we're done."

"Ah, the proverbial catch." Aleister huffed, folding his arms over his chest as he peered at Taylor intently for a long moment. "Very well." He said at last, gesturing for Taylor to lead the way.

Taylor winked and laughed when Aleister rolled his eyes at him, turning to lead the pale boy to the cosy coffee shop, only a five minute walk from Westchester High. He moved to the counter, whilst Aleister found them a table, ordering two coffees and quickly bringing them over to the pale boy with an assortment of additives. Taylor took a sip of the rich, dark liquid while Aleister added milk and a single sugar to his own. "I always had you down as a tea guy..." Taylor admitted abruptly, and Aleister snorted in amusement as he stirred his own drink to his satisfaction. After allowing a moment for them to each gather their thoughts, Taylor cleared his throat, putting on his best ace reporter voice, as he mimicked writing in a notebook.

"Are these dramatics really necessary?" Aleister sighed wearily, earning a scowl from Taylor as he finished setting himself up.

"I'm being _authentic._ Shut up." Taylor said, as Aleister sighed again but held his tongue. Taylor cleared his throat again, pasting a large smile on his face and looking up at Aleister like he was meeting him for the first time. "Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Taylor, with the Westchester Word. Thanks for sitting down with me." He said brightly, winking conspiratorially as Aleister rolled his eyes.

"I'm already regretting it." He said wearily, taking a delicate sip from his coffee as he smirked at Taylor. "I rarely suffer such elaborate foolishness."

 _"Ahem..."_ Taylor coughed loudly, scowling at Aleister for interrupting him, before returning to his reporter persona. "And can I just say, sir, what an _honour_ it is to interview _the_ Class President Rourke?"

"Of course you may," Aleister drawled, his lips quirking at Taylors obvious growing frustration. "It will certainly be a boost to your career in journalism, if nothing else."

Taylor simmered in his chair, scowling at the pale boys smug expression. _"Thanks."_ He bit out, before quickly shaking away his frustration and returning to his professional reporter persona. "Let's start with an easy question, to help our readers get to know you better. How about you tell me... A secret, you've never told anyone." He said, smirking as Aleister blinked in surprise.

"That's awfully personal, for some back to school interview, don't you think?" The pale boy drawled, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at Taylor with a curious frown, a flash of darkness passing within his eyes.

"The Westchester Word asks only the real, hard hitting questions our seventeen readers demand." Taylor said, winking coyly before waggling his brows over the table suggestively.

"Apparently." Aleister huffed, shaking his head as he looked at the table and considered for a long moment."Very well." He said suddenly, looking up at Taylor with a small twitch of his lips. "Here is a very little known fact about myself, which I've never told anyone... I actually _detest_ speeches. I loathe giving them, and find them to be a total waste of my breath."

"What? Aleister come on, that's a _boring_ secret." Taylor sighed, dropping his imaginary pen in feigned outrage. "Everyone already knows you're a great public speaker, and you give speeches all the time. Think of another one."

"Of course I'm an excellent public speaker, I am not an imbecile. I do what I must, whether I enjoy it or not is of no consequence." Aleister sneered, drinking more of his coffee. "Besides, you did not specify what sort of secret I should share."

 _"Aleister!"_ Taylor whined petulantly, barely fighting off the urge to stamp his feet as he scowled over at the smirking boy opposite him. "Urgh, you're _no_ fun whatsoever." He groused, pouting down at his coffee before reluctantly glancing up at Aleister. "Well, you sure had me fooled anyway, I always thought you loved hearing yourself talk."

"That is..." Aleister choked, a surprised laugh escaping him and cheering Taylor significantly. "Peculiarly comforting to hear... But keep an eye next time I must give one of those despicable pep rally's. My hands are constantly tapping, I've tried everything but, I can't seem to stop it."

"Hmm... Is that a consolation offer of an extra tidbit of a secret?" Taylor chuckled, as Aleister merely waved his brows in reply briefly. Taylor grinned and shook his head, biting his sore lip before sitting straight and clearing his throat, picking up his imaginary pen again. "Moving right along... Let's talk about the school year ahead." He said, pretending to read through some notes briefly, before looking up at Aleister in careful consideration. "What are you looking forward to the most?"

"Hmm, a much more appropriate question." Aleister said approvingly, taking a moment to consider his answer. "I would say that, this year what I am most looking forward to is homecoming."

 _"Really?"_ Taylor balked, his professional façade dropping again in his surprise. "That's surprising." He said, blinking as Aleister chuckled and shrugged a shoulder in an oddly elegant manner which made Taylor feel strangely jealous of the other boys natural grace.

"I suppose it was a misleading answer on my part." Aleister said lightly, raising his coffee cup for another sip. "What I mean to say, is that; the sooner homecoming is over, the sooner I can stop having migraines about it."

 _"Pfft,_ that sounds more like you." Taylor snorted, grinning goofily as Aleister rolled his eyes at him. "Though, I probably wouldn't say that to the actual paper if the question does come up." He added, cocking his head as he looked at his friend thoughtfully. "Why's it giving you migraines."

Aleister grimaced, lowering his coffee as he sighed wearily. "This is the first year the student council has an actual budget, so; they've decided we can afford a DJ." He sneered, showing his distaste for the idea. "A grotesque waste, if you ask me, but I am merely a pawn in this area, I'm afraid."

"Wow. So, a school dance might _actually_ be cool for once?" Taylor asked, humming thoughtfully to himself.

"If you can call such moronic body grinding _cool_ then certainly, that is the hope." Aleister replied snidely, shaking his head dispassionately.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, wondering if it might be worth forgoing his plans to skip attending the homecoming after all. _All depends on if I can find Diego... I'm not going anywhere near that stupid dance without my best friend embarrassing himself alongside me_. He thought, sobering himself somewhat as he caught sight of the clock, the time to his meeting with the others slowly ticking by. "Well," he said, clearing his throat as he distracted himself from the rising nervousness in his gut. "Since we're on the subject... Let's talk about the event on everyone's mind; this years homecoming. _Who_ are you going with..?" Taylor asked, propping his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands, as he leaned closer to Aleister conspiratorially.

 _"Ahem,_ I do believe that is none of you're business." Aleister said roughly, his cheeks staining with a faint tinge of colour as he pointedly averted his gaze briefly, before frowning over at Taylor. "Is that even something people worry about this early?" He asked, as Taylors eyes drifted over the lake boys shoulder, spotting a familiar face at the counter.

"Hmm..." He hummed again, chewing his lip distractedly as he watched the man pay for his coffee and what looked like a small banana bread loaf, before he began to move towards the exit. Taylor felt his cheeks flush with warmth, but it was the sharp sting in his lip which finally had him yelping and looking away from the man. _"Ahem,_ sorry... what? I uh-"

"I suppose that answers _that_ question." Aleister chuckled, eyeing Taylor knowingly as he flushed even deeper in his embarrassment. "Seen something we like, have we, Taylor?" 

Taylor cleared his throat, glancing towards the exit in the hopes of seeing the man again, but to no avail, as he'd already disappeared. "I uh, I guess you could say that I've got my eye on _someone..."_

"You don't say." Aleister huffed dryly, his lips quirking fondly as he toyed with his empty cup with his long fingers.

"Yeah..." Taylor hummed in distant agreement, thinking back to his last interaction with the man. "Though," he said, his brows raising as he stared vacantly at his coffee cup. "I'm not sure if he'd be interested..."

"Well, why don't you stop being such a dramatically pining _fool,_ and go ask him?" Aleister asked with a derisive sniff, his piercing gaze lit with amusement as Taylor scowled and raised his dark blue eyes to meet Aleister's gaze. 

"Maybe I _will."_ He sneered, thrusting out his chin defiantly, as Aleister snorted and shook his head. Taylor huffed, looking away as he clicked the top of his imaginary pen, and closed his imaginary notebook. _"Ahem,_ well... Anyway." He said awkwardly, ignoring the heat in his cheeks beneath Aleister's smug expression. "I think that's just about everything I need for the interview. Look for it in the stands tomorrow." He said, finally relaxing with a laugh as Aleister rolled his eyes and sighed at his continued theatrics.

They say in comfortable silence for a moment, before Aleister cleared his throat and looked anywhere but across the table. "Thank you, Taylor." He said stiffly, picking at some imaginary lint on his sweater. "You did not have to help me, but that was... not an entire waste of my time."

"I feel like I just got the _most_ backhanded of backhanded compliments, ever known to man..." Taylor huffed, amused by Aleister's reluctant gratitude. "But seriously, Aleister; anytime, okay? I'm really glad I was able to help..."

"Helping, might be a slight overextension of whatever you were doing..." Aleister scoffed, though his piercing eyes held laughter in them. "But none the less, I feel more prepared for tomorrow." He said, allowing another silence to settle over them, the ticking of the clock reminding Taylor again of the urgent meeting he'd called.

"Er... not to, spoil the mood but," Taylor paused, drawing in a deep breath to steady himself. "There was... something _else,_ I needed to talk to you about." He hedged awkwardly, as the laughter faded from Aleister's gaze and he looked down at the table.

"Ah." He said, heaving a deep sigh before returning his reluctant gaze to Taylors. "You mean, what happened at the pep rally this morning."

"Yeah..." Taylor said slowly, narrowing his eyes at Aleister's sudden guilty expression. "So you did hear them, then? The whispers..?" He said, frowning as Aleister stubbornly held his tongue. "The _voice?"_ He demanded, finally drawing a reaction from the pale boy.

"I am neither an imbecile, nor deaf." Aleister sneered, glancing around as he scratched his arm uncomfortably. "But, I do not need it broadcast around the school that the Class President hears voices." He whispered viciously, scowling at a nearby group of girls. "However," he amended, his fierce expression fading as the girls hurried away and he returned his gaze to Taylor. "Supposing I did, _hypothetically..._ What then?"

"Well, hypothetically," Taylor snarked with a sarcastic grimace, frowning down at his phone. "A bunch of us are meeting by the fountain to talk about it. Six pm." He said slowly, watching as Aleister absorbed the information with only a minimal show of surprise. "So... you in? Or, are you too busy?" Taylor asked, sucking his injured lip between his teeth and swiping his tongue over the wound, as he waited for Aleister to reply.

Finally the pale boy sighed, looking over at him in resignation. "I'm in." He said firmly, nodding his head sharply. "It's probably the least I can do, considering the help you've given me in helping prepare for that ghastly interview."

Taylors shoulders slumped, a tension he hadn't even realised he'd been carrying, falling away as relief pulsed through him. "Thankyou. I'll see you then..?"

"Indeed..." Aleister said, pushing to his feet. "You shall. For now though, I must return to the school and attend to several Class President matters."

"Okay," Taylor said, quickly standing and gathering his things together, chuckling at Aleister's surprised expression. "I might as well get my homework done while I wait, and the best place to do it is the school library anyway." He explained, gesturing for Aleister to lead the way back to the school, and after glancing around quickly, following close behind him.

It seemed to take no time at all to return to the school premises, and once Taylor had parted ways from Aleister, it seemed like only the blink of an eye; before the sun was sinking behind the trees and he walked back out of the school building, despite a few hours having passed. He was surprised to find Raj, Quinn and Aleister already waiting in tense silence, and he hurried over to Quinn worriedly. "Are you okay? I never even thought, but are you sure you're up for this..?" He asked quickly, as Quinn blinked at him blankly.

"I..." She stammered, before dissolving into giggles. "Oh, Taylor... I'm fine." She said, stifling further laughter by biting her lip. "Thankyou for asking, but... I want to be here." She said, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly, just as Sean jogged around the building, with Rebecca trailing behind him, texting busily.

"Hey, guys! One sec..." She said, smiling around them all briefly before returning her gaze to her phone. She wandered over, finishing up her messages as she came to stand beside Taylor. Without even pausing or taking her eyes from her screen, she quickly jabbed a fist into his arm, raising a brow when he yelped in surprise. "Tell me you weren't expecting that, after your stunt earlier." She snorted, smirking at his pouting expression.

"Expecting, sure. Was hoping _you_ wouldn't know that though..." He muttered, rubbing the offended spot on his arm as Rebecca rolled her eyes and returned to her texting, missing the amused grin which lit Taylors face. "So, you never realised we don't even have a third floor, I take it..?" He asked, dodging another sudden jab towards his arm with a laugh, as the fiery redhead smiled grudgingly.

"It was a mean prank, 'kay?" She sniffed, feigning a scowl despite her grin. "You just wait til I set my brother on ya, he'll kick your ass so hard, ya won't sit right for a week."

"I imagine Taylor would rather enjoy that." Aleister drawled, as Taylors jaw dropped in outrage, while Quinn giggled at their teasing.

"Hey, when did this turn into 'pick on Taylor' night?" He demanded hotly, scowling between the pair as they exchanged a conspiratorial glance. "It is _so_ not fair to play two against one, by the way. I'll have you know-"

"Man, how is it this dark already?" Sean asked loudly, distracting the group from their bickering, as Raj stood up from his seat on the fountain.

"Who we missing, doodlejumps?" He asked, frowning as he counted heads and came up one short.

"Um..." Quinn murmured, glancing around the area quickly herself. "I don't see Zahra..." She said, looking over at Rebecca uncertainly, as she shook her head to show she didn't see her either.

"You guys look like the cover of some lame ass, Christian rock album." Zahra spoke suddenly from behind them, making both Taylor and Quinn jump in surprise.

"Damn," Sean said, quickly recovering from his own surprise, though his eyes remained wide as he ran a hand over his short hair. "What are you, a ninja?"

 _"Vampire."_ Zahra quipped effortlessly, raising a brow as Quinn frowned over at her.

"But, I've seen you out in the sun..." She said, staring at Zahra in awe, while Taylor rolled his eyes and reminded himself to explain Zahra's sense of humour to the redhead later.

"I am the daywalker." Zahra said blandly, though her lips twitched with amusement. "Fear me." She demanded, as Taylor pointedly cleared his throat.

"Okay..." He said loudly, looking around the group of former friends slowly, as he drew their attention back towards the purpose of their meeting. _Diego needs us_... He thought, swallowing thickly and licking his lips before forcing himself to continue. "Look; we all know why we're here... The blackout at the pep rally. The wind. The voice." He said meaningfully, looking around the suddenly averted faces around him.

"I..." Rebecca coughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder nervously. "I don't know what ya talkin' about." She sniffed haughtily, meeting Taylors eyes with a determined gaze.

"Becca, you came here for a reason..." He said gently, feeling a distinct jab of guilt when the redhead flinched and turned her gaze away. Taylor looked around the group again, his eyes silently pleading as everyone met his gaze briefly, before looking away again. "We've barely spoken in years..." He said imploringly, a rush of gratitude flooding through him when Quinn's small hand squeezed his own supportively. _"None_ of you would be here, unless you were just as freaked out as I was. Unless you _heard_ the same thing I did."

" _Everyone plays together_." Raj finally muttered, as a heavy silence filled the air, the group all refusing to look at each other.

"There's..." Quinn began hesitantly, biting her lip before looking up at Taylor uncertainly. "There's something else..." She said, lowering her eyes as she dug out her phone and held it out to Taylor with a shaking hand.

 _"Quinn..!"_ He gasped, snatching the phone and scrolling through the messages on the screen, before looking at her frantically. "Are these all from Diego?"

"Wait, _you_ received those as well?" Aleister asked, stepping forward to look at the messages, as Taylor began to hyperventilate, distressed to think he wasn't the only one his best friend had reached out to; only for none of them to have come to his aid.

"Back the fuck up..." Zahra demanded, holding out the palm of her hand as if warding off evil spirits. "Did we _all_ get weird ass texts from Diego last night?" She asked, frowning as Taylors fingers inched towards the bruises on his neck, which began to ache at the gentle touch.

"I..." He choked, his grief thick in his throat. He swallowed heavily, forcing back his clamouring emotions and sucking in a deep, stabilising breath. "I have to tell you something." He forced himself to say, summoning his every ounce of courage; and launching into an explanation of everything which had happened to him the previous night. He began with the texts, before moving to the blackout, and finally, described in as much detail as he could; the creature which wore Diego's face, before finally rolling down the neck of his vest so they could see the proof of his story. "I know it sounds crazy, but... I think it was _him._ I think... Mr. Red is back."

"We have to call the cops." Sean growled after a heavy pause, scowling as he eyed the bruises around Taylors neck. "Right _now._ They'll find that creep who attacked you and-"

"Dude, there's no point." Taylor said, shaking his head as he rolled his vest neck back over his bruises, squeezing Quinn's hand when he noticed her still staring at the now covered marks, tears glistening in her eyes. "There's no way in hell the police would believe us."

"You don't know that." Sean insisted, glaring at him in frustration, as Taylors own temper began to rise.

"Oh what, like they believed us the last time we told them the truth, you mean?" He spat venomously, the guilt he felt at Raj's flinch smothered beneath his fury at Sean's stubbornness. "Hey Zahra, think your dad will believe you, if you told him a nightmare monster was coming to kill us all?" He said scathingly, his eyes still locked onto Sean.

 _"Pfft,_ hell no." Zahra scoffed, as Sean clenched his hands into fists, but refused to lower his gaze from Taylors. "He'd make me pee in a cup, then search my room for drugs. Like that's where I'd be stupid enough to keep them." She snorted, as the group fell into awkward silence once more.

"Well... Anyway, what are cops gonna do against Redfield, dudes?" Raj asked, looking around them all as he tugged his beanie hat lower over his tied up hair. _"Arrest_ him?"

Sean finally sighed, his hands reluctantly un-balling themselves, as he glanced at Taylor apologetically. "Yeah, alright man... I get it."

"Maybe we could get the dirt monster to testify?" Raj teased, snickering at his own joke.

"I said,  _I get it_." Sean said, scowling over at Raj as the larger boy seemed to gain confidence, clearly preparing some further taunt.

"Oh, for pity's sake Raj, leave the quarterback alone." Aleister sighed, scowling between the pair, as Sean's furious gaze turned towards the pale Class President.

"I'm _not_ the quarterback." Sean growled, as Taylor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling like a fool for having not expected the group to be so tense and argumentative after growing so distant with each other.

"Of course, my apologies." Aleister drawled, rolling his eyes at Sean's display as he folded his arms over his chest. "Because your weak attempts to deny you were ever a football star, will make it so." He snorted, as Sean took a menacing step closer.

"Hey, you wanna mind your own damn business, man. You got no right commenting on my life choices..." Sean warned, as Aleister huffed and gazed back at him apathetically.

"If you weren't such a colossal fool, perhaps I wouldn't feel the need to comment." Aleister sneered, running his eyes over Sean dismissively. "As it is you gave up a game you love, lost your best friend and all for nothing. The game does not make the man."

Sean made to step closer to Aleister again, only for Taylor to quickly intercept him and raising his hands in placation, sending a frustrated glare towards Aleister, who shrugged unaffectedly. Sean looked down at Taylor, before finally sighing heavily, running a hand over his short hair as he turned and aimed a sharp kick at a pebble, sending it flying across the street.

"Oh, yeah. Speaking of cop stuff," Zahra said suddenly, clearing her throat as the testosterone cleared from the air around them. "Diego's parents reported him missing this morning."

"They _what?!"_ Taylor choked, spinning around to stare at Zahra in disbelief, panic surging in his heart like a suddenly raging fire.

"Diego's _missing?"_ Raj cried, scowling over at Zahra furiously. "And you're only telling us this _now?"_

"I thought you would have heard!" Zahra replied defensively, glaring back at the large boy and flipping him the bird for good measure.

"Not everyone's dad is the sheriff." Rebecca said hotly, glaring over at Zahra and receiving a middle finger gesture of her own for her comment.

Taylor missed their accusations, guilt and fear colliding in his heart as he tried to make himself breathe normally. _He's missing, he's really missing... Damn, I should have trusted my gut feeling and just cut school to go find him_. He thought, swallowing thickly as he tried to reign in his emotions. "Hey!" He yelled over his bickering friends, forcing them to quiet as he slowly raised his head to look around them all. "Diego could be... is probably, in trouble. I'm going to find him." He said firmly.

"Taylor, come _on!"_ Rebecca protested, her eyes wide as she placed a hand on his arm, only for Taylor to shrug it off. "Diego needs _actual_ help. From adults. And professionals." She said, shaking her head when he turned to look at her with a confused frown. "Professional adults." She repeated, as Taylor began to shake his head.

"No. I have to find him." He said, his hands trembling as the thought of losing his best friend shot through his mind. "It _has_ to be me."

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Aleister demanded, raising a brow at Taylors stubborn insistence.

"Because he's my _best_ friend!" Taylor cried, turning away from the group in frustration, as his heart clenched with guilt, grief and fear. "Because all of this is _my fault!_ Because... Because I _can't_ lose him too. I can't lose _any_ of you."

"Taylor, if ya really his friend, you'll let the professionals find him and _help_ him..." Rebecca insisted, and Taylor felt his thin patience snap.

"How many of you have even _spoken_ to Diego, in the past ten years?" He demanded, whirling around to face them, his hot and guilty tears stinging in his eyes as everyone pointedly averted their own. "Diego and I stuck together. He's like my brother... I can't just leave him out there if Mr. Red has him. I owe it to him, to do something. To _save_ him, like I couldn't-" he choked, panting for breath as he wrestled back his panic and fury.

"I _know,_ nobody wants to dredge this stuff back up." Taylor said slowly, still fighting with his temper as he gazed around the group imploringly. "We've all told ourselves over the years that it never happened. That we were kids, and we just made it all up. It's how we coped." He said knowingly, as everyone shifted their weight guiltily. "But Diego _couldn't,_ guys. He kept it all... And he was right. It _happened._ We all remember Mr. Red, and we all saw what he did to-"

"We can't let him do the same to Diego." Raj said, nodding his head as he visibly pushed aside his own guilt and grief.

"No one did anythin' to 'em, Taylor." Rebecca insisted, almost pleaded in her desperation to avoid the truth of their past. "It was just, a freak accide-"

"That's _bull,_ and you know it." Raj said adamantly, scowling at the redhead in genuine irritation.

"All I know is that we were a buncha dumb kids, who should've never been playin' in the woods by ourselves!" Rebecca cried, glaring back at Raj as she swept angry tears from her cheeks. "What I know is that we never would've been, if Taylor and-"

"Perhaps, if we could calm the hysterics for a moment," Aleister said loudly, glancing at Taylor as his expression crumpled with guilt. "We might be able to consider the facts." Taylor shook his head slowly, as Aleister paused to gather his thoughts. "Everything which occurred during the rally, could easily be explained by some faulty wiring." The pale boy finally declared, before turning to Taylor with a raised brow. "As for Diego... What exactly, are you proposing we do?"

"I'd have thought that was obvious, to someone so smart as you." Taylor said tiredly, glancing around the group. "I have to _stop_ this. I have to find Diego, figure out what the hell that idiot did; kick his ass for it, and then _un_ do it! I'd hoped for your help... But with or without you, I have to go-"

"... into the woods..." Quinn gasped, shaking her head in disbelief as she suddenly realised just what Taylors plan was. The wind picked up at Quinn's words, leaves fleeing across the asphalt as stunned silence fell over the group. "No, Taylor; you can't go back there! _Please!"_

Raj walked towards Quinn, holding up his hands in a calming gesture, as Taylor lowered his gaze and slipped away from her side. "Easy little dudette, I know you're scared..." He said, glancing over at Taylor with a small nod. "But if we want this to stop, we have to-"

Sean blocked Raj's path, placing a gentle but firm hand on his chest. "Back off, man." He said firmly, his brow furrowing as he glared at Raj. "Quinn doesn't have to do _anything_ she doesn't want, and none of us have to let Taylor be an idiot."

"Are you for real right now, dude?" Raj demanded hotly, scowling at Sean in disbelief. "I thought you were the big brave man, singlehandedly tossing out his worthless-"

A heavy door slammed open suddenly, the loud bang echoing as the group simultaneously tensed, like animals caught in a predators stare. Taylor quickly moved to the back of the group, giving himself enough space for a head start should they try to stop him again. The group watched silently, as there cheerleaders rounded the corner of the gym, chatting happily as they passed the awkward group obliviously. As they vanished into the school, Taylor and the rest of the group finally began to breath again.

"Raj, maybe _you_ have time to go running around in the woods chasing boogiemen," Rebecca snapped in a harsh whisper, her face falling as she looked down at the floor. "But some of us have _real_ problems."

"Getting kidnapped by some shadow monster nightmare dude, who can apparently strangle us in our sleep, seems like a _pretty real freaking problem_!" Raj cried, his eyes wide as he waved his arms emphatically.

"Guys, calm down!" Taylor yelled, scowling as the group jumped and turned towards him guiltily. 

 _"Don't_ tell me to be calm, Taylor..." Raj muttered, glaring around the rest of the group in barely disguised disgust. "Diego is _missing._ And none of these guys give a damn..."

"That's hardly fair." Aleister sneered, frowning at Raj in consternation. "We are all concerned for Diego, but we are also attempting to impress upon Taylor, the idiocy of charging off into the woods without a plan of action!" He explained hotly, clearing his throat as he regained his composure. "If the police have been called already, we should stay out of their way and allow them to handle it."

"Like they handled it ten years ago?" Raj demanded lowly, as the group flinched guiltily.

"Raj-" Rebecca began, only for the large boy to shake his head and back away from them all quickly. 

"No. I've _had_ it with this." He said, firmly placing himself between taylor and the rest of the group. "Redfield _killed_ my little cousin, right in front of us! And you all shrugged it off like nothing happened!" He cried, his voice breaking as his heartache broke through his anger. "If Taylors willing to go after Diego, then I'm gonna help him anyway I can. Even if its just by holding you guys back..."

"Man, nobody 'shrugged off' anything!" Sean said, as Taylor began to back away from the group, sucking his injured lip between his teeth.

"The _hell_ you didn't!" Raj yelled, his face falling as he looked around and gestured at various members of their group. "Class President, cheerleader, star quarterback; oh, whoops. _Basketball_ jock." Raj sneered sarcastically. "You all seem to be doing just _fine..."_ He muttered, shaking his head as he looked around everyone. "The second my little cuz was in the ground, you were all happy to move on with your lives. And you're pulling the same shit now with Diego... Just so long as it doesn't affect your perfect life."

"Oh what, because we didn't all become loser potheads like you, we're unfeeling monsters?" Rebecca demanded hotly, her eyes flashing with fury. "It ever occur to you this was just our way of _coping?!_ They were our friend too!"

"You all keep talking about Diego like you even know him anymore..." Taylor said quietly, several large paces away from them all as he looked back at them reproachfully. "Like you care about him _now._ Where the _hell_ were you for the past year?" He asked, his deep blue eyes hardening as they gazed  back ay him in surprise. "Where were you, when he got totally _annihilated_ at winter formal? Or the spring bonanza? Or summer regalia?" He demanded, brushing his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. "Cuz I sure as hell don't remember you guys helping me clean him up after..."

Taylor swallowed heavily, his eyes falling onto Quinn's tearful face. "I don't blame you. I get that people cope differently... But don't try and stand there, telling me you know a damn thing about Diego. _None_ of you were there then... And, I shouldn't have expected you to be _now."_ He said, swallowing thickly as he turned away.

"I didn't know Diego was having _that_ much trouble..." Sean said quietly, as Taylor tried to drag in several deep breaths to calm his racing pulse. "Man, why didn't he say anything?"

"You were having trouble enough, throwing your dad out and cutting football for basketball..." Taylor muttered, raising his eyes to the stars as he shook his head and sighed. "Rebecca's mom was up for election, and she was swamped with the paperwork to help her out. He refused to offload his problems onto Quinn due to her fluctuating health problems, and Aleister was always just too scary for him to approach..." He huffed, a rueful grin quirking his lips briefly, before quickly dying again.

"I feel like I should take umbridge at that, but..." Aleister said hesitantly, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I admit I may come off as rather, intimidating... when I'm vexed."

"You're always vexed." Taylor snorted, turning and glancing over at Zahra and Raj, as they frowned and clearly wondered why they hadn't been approached. "He wasn't about to complain to you Raj, when you lost the most back then... And Zahra-"

"Lemme guess, he was scared of me." She intoned dryly, as Taylor shrugged in noncommittal agreement. "I might not like people but... I never wanted _him_ to feel that way." She hedged gruffly, her cheeks colouring in embarrassment as she looked away.

"But... even so, we could have helped!" Sean insisted, his face falling in guilt. "I, could have helped."

"Well, now it's too late." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "I tried, guys... I tried to help him. But, in the end all I did was make things worse. So I'm gonna go find him, whether you help or not."

"You're an _idiot,_ Taylor!" Rebecca said hotly, scowling as she turned and stomped away without a backward glance.

Quinn bit her lip, looking down at the ground as she held her artbook in a shaking, white knuckled grip. "Taylor... I want to help, but-"

"You can't. I know." Taylor said, shaking his head as she slowly approached and leaned her head to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "You're the bravest of all of us, you know?" He whispered, as Quinn sniffed and shook her head.

"That was always you." She mumbled, drawing back to wipe at her eyes, before looking up at him worriedly. "Be careful?"

"Of course." He said, as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Urgh, girl slobber." He grimaced, rubbing at his cheek and laughing quietly when she slapped his arm gently. He watched as she backed away, before turning to hurry back into the school and call one of her parents to collect her.

"I guess you're gonna bail too, President Snow?" Raj said, turning towards Aleister with an accusatory frown.

"Even if I _did_ believe all this childish prattle, which I am neither confirming nor denying," Aleister sneered, drawing himself up to his full impressive height. "I simply have no time at this point." He said, following after Quinn, though he paused and half turned back to Taylor. "Do try not to perish?" He asked, as Taylor chuckled and mockingly saluted the pale boy.

 _"Fine!_ Just... bury your heads in the sand!" Raj fumed, finally losing his minimal grasp on his temper. "This isn't just gonna stop though, you know!"

"Raj, man... Leave them alone." Taylor said quietly, shaking his head as he sighed heavily. "If I hadn't seen that thing last night, hell... if I didn't have _this,"_ he said, gesturing to his bruised throat. "I would probably still be in denial too." He said, turning to Zahra to find the girl was picking her nails in boredom. "So, how 'bout it, Ghostie Girl?"

"Call me that again, and you'll be dealing with those eyeballs I mentioned." Zahra said blankly, startling a laugh out of Taylor. "But a creepy, deep woods ghost hunt is _emphatically_ my brand, loser. I'm in." She said, bumping her fist to Taylors with a wink.

"Me too." Sean said firmly, seemingly still absorbing the information Taylor had dumped upon them all. "I dunno about all this ghost stuff... But Diego's a good guy, and he needs us."

"So, when are we going?" Zahra asked, examining her nails before dropping them to her side. "Friday?"

"What? _No!"_ Raj cried, his eyes wide as he stared at Zahra's blank expression in disbelief. "We have to go tonight!"

"Urgh, I can't." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes in frustration. "My dads made this dumb but strict rule about school night curfew... And _wow_ does that sound lame out loud." She complained, scowling and kicking at the ground.

"Yeah, I can't go tonight either." Sean admitted regretfully, as Taylor shook his head. "The team needs me here early tomorrow for training."

 _"Pfft,_ sure they do." Zahra scoffed, glancing sideways at Sean. "How will team dudebro know they're having fun, without some minorities to exclude?"

Sean stiffened, his hands clenching as he turned, ready to snao at Zahra; before he wilted suddenly. "I mean, you're not _wrong..."_ He grumbled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "But I have to keep showing up, right? They can't ignore me forever."

"I admire your optimism." Zahra snorted, shaking her head at him. "It's dumb, but I admire it."

"So that's it?" Taylor asked quietly, looking between the pair sadly. "After all your..." He paused, biting back words he knew he would regret voicing later. "You're both _sure_ you can't come?"

Zahra and Sean exchanged a doubtful glance, the pair seeming to have a silent debate as Taylor gazed between them longingly. "Zahra, what if you told your dad you were studying at my house?" Taylor offered suddenly, startling the duo from their shared glance.

"Huh, that might actually do it..." Zahra admitted, cocking her head thoughtfully. "He's always liked you, for some reason... Plus he'll be thrilled to hear I'm making 'normal' friends." She added dismissively, before frowning suddenly. "Won't your parents mind?"

"No." Taylor said, offering no further explanation. He figured she would find out about his severely lacking familial life soon enough, anyway.

"Rad." She replied, bump in her fist to hisnagain with a devious grin, clearly pleased to have found a loophole in her fathers rulebook.

Taylor turned to Sean, their eyes meeting in a tense moment of silence. "Sean... I know basketball is important to you. I know _why._ But, this could be life and death. You're the strongest person here... And, I'd feel a whole lot better, with you looking out for us."

Sean snorted, rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation. "Well, when you put it _that_ way... I can't exactly say no to you. Alright, man. I'm in."

"Raj?" Taylor asked, turning to look at the large boy surprised to find him grinning widely.

"Yeah dudes, I'm way in." He said, high fiving everyone eagerly. Taylor drew in a deep breath, looking around the four of them and taking strength from their decision to stick together.

"Alright then. I gotta grab my things outta the library quickly, so you guys go ahead." He said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the road to town. "We'll meet up in front of the hardware store. That'll give you a chance to call your dad too, Zahra." He added, as Zahra shrugged noncommittally.

"Alright doodlejump, then what?" Raj asked, frowning as Taylor began to move toward the school.

"Then..." Taylor said firmly, glancing back with a grimly determined expression. "Then we go save Diego."


	4. Sticks And Stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man this shoulda veen ready aaaaaggggeeeesss ago...
> 
> But i kept getting distracted by work or sleep or... giving blood. Lmfao  
> But hey, its FINALLY ready!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had a fairly good time writing it, so hopefully you will reading it - there was one point i almist laughed my ass off and one that i just blushed, giggled and alnost had to avert my eyes as i wrote it... it just... well its probably just me being weird tbh lmfao cuz its nothing even smutty... still
> 
> Again, i hipe you enjoy :D please lemme kniw ya thoughts on it (is most helpful for future works/chapters...)  
> Im eager to get chomping at this si; hopefully see you again soon!!! ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**4.**

**Sticks And Stones.**

Taylor quickly made his way through the abandoned halls of Westchester High, returning to the library to gather his things. He thought back to the tense meeting with his old friend group, still reeling from the surprise of having convinced some of them to come with him in his search for his missing best friend, Diego Soto.

He was just trotting back towards his locker, when he came across Michelle, Craig, Estela and Rebecca; surrounding a cornered Quinn. "Aw _hell..."_ He sighed, running a hand through his short spikes as he eyed the group in rising irritation. "Like tonight wasn't already bad enough."

"Seriously, this whole stalker thing is getting old." Michelle said scathingly, as Taylor curled his hand into a fist.

"That's _not_ what I'm-" Quinn defended hotly, glaring at the blonde tearfully, as she clutched her artbook protectively to her chest.

"C'mon, Meech." Craig leered, sniggering behind his hand. "I think her little love note was kinda sweet!" He taunted, holding up a piece of notebook paper, his mocking voice echoing down the hall as he read it aloud. " _I don't understand what I did to make you hate me, or why you became so cold to the world. Where's the kind, sweet girl who braided my hair for the middle school dance_?" He sneered, as Quinn lowered her eyes and scowled at the floor, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her artbook tightly.

"You and the dying girl were friends?" Estela asked blankly, eyeing Michelle in vague curiosity, as Quinn visibly flinched from her callous words.

"You're a cold hearted bitch, Estela... But that was _low,_ even for you." Rebecca growled, scowling hotly at the girl with the scarred eye. She glared at Craig and Michelle, drawing the blonde from a faintly dazed stare. "Real mature, guys."

Michelle snatched the note from Craig suddenly, rearing it in the process, her face contorting and reddening in fury as she rounded on Quinn. "Guess you didn't get the message this morning sweetheart, so let me.spell it out for you." The blonde leered, tossing her hair over her shoulder in irritation. "That little crush of yours was flattering at first, but _now?_ It's honestly kinda pathetic, and it's _really_ starting to get on my nerves..."

"I..." Quinn mumbled, biting her lip as her hands trembled, holding her artbook closer to her chest as her face crumpled with remorse. "I just wanted to talk to you again, befor-"

"Michelle, lets just go." Rebecca urged, her eyes sad as she beheld Quinn's misery. "C'mon, look. Ya made your point already. I'm sure she-"

"I'm _not_ done talking." Michelle fumed, glaring at Rebecca so vehemently that the fiery redhead flinched and lowered her gaze. Satisfied that she wouldn't be interrupted again, Michelle turned back to Quinn, pausing when she found the other girl glaring back at her tearfully. The blonde swallowed, before shaking her hair briefly. "Look, whatever creepy daydreams you have about me... you're gonna throw them out the window. Because to _me,_ you're never gonna be _anything,_ other than some loser girl, who's only future plans involve dyi-" 

Taylor raced down the hall, slamming his shoulder into Craig's huge body and knocking him into Michelle, the pair of them stumbling as Estela merely stepped out of their way. _"Impressive."_ She murmured, watching Craig and Michelle right themselves with furious expressions, as they turns towards Taylor.

"Leave her _alone."_ He said firmly, pretending his stomach wasn't tying itself in knots as he faced down the angry pair. "She's worth a _thousand times_ more than either one of you, will _ever_ be." He sneered, standing between Quinn and her tormentors. His eyes darted to Rebecca, his silent accusation clear to read in his hard gaze. Some friend you are. He thought, as she averted her gaze guiltily, while Taylor turned his own attention back to Michelle.

 _"Taylor-!"_ Quinn gasped, her small hand touching his shoulder from behind lightly, only for him to quickly shrug it off.

"You know, high school is hard enough without you and your pet vultures preying on everyone." He snarled, as Michelle blinked in surprise at his ferocity. "You're currently picking on the _one person here,_ who might actually think you're a decent human being... somewhere in there." He muttered, gesturing vaguely towards her chest. "Maybe if you two could stop being so butt hurt about Sean needing to change things up, after all the shit that went down in his life, you could actually figure out the damage you're doing to your own!"

Michelle's expression slowly darkened, her snarl turning into a sneer. "Oh look, it's Taylor the White Knight, come to save poor little Quinn from the big bad world." She said, shaking her head as if something tragic were occurring.

"Well, if I'm the white knight..." Taylor replied, scowling at the blonde as she taunted him. "I guess that makes _you_ the evil witch."

"Taylor, _stop..."_ Quinn said quietly, trying again to tug at his shoulder. "You don't have to do this. Just _go,_ Taylor-"

"No." He insisted, glancing back at her briefly and flashing her a sad smile. "I left you alone for too long. I'm _not_ gonna let this prima-donna wannabe make out like you're worth less than her. At least you still see the beauty in people, she only sees how to break them."

"If I didn't know you batted for the wrong team, I'd say you were in _love_ with her." Michelle scoffed derisively, folding her arms over her chest as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at his spiteful slur. "I'd love to know how you plan to save her from her Rotterdam's, Taylor."

"I'm working on it." Taylor said in a fierce growl, as Rebecca raised her head with a shocked gasp. He ignored her, scowling at Michelle as the blonde seemed to absorb the information.

 _"Taylor..._ You-" Quinn choked, sniffling behind him as she shoved at his shoulder more insistently, her movements growing more and more urgent. "Just _go,_ Taylor... You have to-"

"For once, we agree in something." Michelle said brightly, clicking her fingers as she winked at Quinn. "I think I've had enough of Taylors sass, for one day." She said thoughtfully, turning expectantly to the jock by her side. "Craig?"

For the first time however, Craig paused before following the blondes command, frowning at Taylor in wary confusion. "Yo, what'd you mean about Sean, bro?"

"You're a big boy, Craig." Taylor snarked scathingly, flashing the jock a frustrated glare. "Why don't you suck up your damn self obsessed attitude and _ask_ him?"

"Craig!" Michelle said sharply, elbowing the jock in the side roughly to regain his attention. "Don't let this guy make fun of you. Everyone knows you were Sean's best friend, if something so big had happened in his life he would've told us."

"Oh, of course! I almost forgot, you were a half decent human being, back before the shit hit the fan and Sean told you he needed some space for awhile." Taylor sneered, turning back to Michelle with a scowl. "Because you've never had something you just needed to work through for yourself like that..." He scoffed.

Michelle flushed, her cheeks turning red as she eyed Taylor in open disbelief. "And why _exactly_ would he turn to _you?"_ She demanded, snorting derisively as she shook her head. "He had us, we would have supported him through _anything._ He trusted us-"

"Trust had _nothing_ to do with it." Taylor snapped, his temper quickly unravelling. "Sean had shit he needed to focus on, he couldn't do that with you demanding his time and affection. If you have a real good think about how he was acting back then, maybe you'll come to realise the world never actually revolved around _yo-"_

"Taylor..." Quinn whispered harshly, her small hand curling into a fist in the back of his top, drawing him to bite his tongue to keep from continuing to rant. He drew in a deep breath and looked back, his furious expression softening as he net Quinn's gentle, crystalline gaze.

 _"Craig."_ Michelle repeated insistently, causing Taylor ti turn forward again, holding his arm out protectively before Quinn, as he faced down the trio.

"C'mere," Craig said, this time stepping forward with a wicked grin curving his lips. "I wanna show you this really cool thing I found... In the cafeteria dumpster, brah."

Taylor grit his teeth as Craig leered at him menacingly, bracing himself to fight the brute off, as Quinn cried out in desperate alarm. "No." Another voice said determinedly, and Taylor turned in surprise to see Rebecca glaring at him furiously. "I got this." She insisted, stalking forward and grabbing Taylor by the elbow to steer him away.

"Man, look at Bex! Taking initiative, Meech!" Craig hollered after them, as Taylor struggled against her hold on him, half turning to see if Quinn was okay. The redhead watched him go, her relief palpable, before she quickly slipped away from the trio of bullies un-noticed; vanishing around the corner of the opposite halls, tears streaming down her face.

"Works for me." Michelle said, beaming a broad smile after them. "We're still shopping on Saturday, right? I saw the cutest sweater at The Boutique the other day..."

"Yeah..." Rebecca called back without looking, and Taylor raised a brow as he saw her face crumple beside him. "I'll call you." She choked, as she dragged Taylor out the door. As soon as they were out the front doors and out of sight, Rebecca finally let go of Taylors arm, allowing him to jerk away at last.

"Uh, _ow."_ He groused, scowling at her accusingly as he rubbed his elbow. "How are your hands so freakin' _strong?!"_ He demanded, his temper flaring as he recalled the tears on Quinn's cheeks.

"Ten years of gymnastics." Rebecca shot back, glaring at him just as determinedly as he was her. She narrowed her eyes as he snorted, his eyes flashing with irritation.

"Gymnastics, huh?" He sniped, shaking his head at her. "Explains how you're flexible enough to walk around with your head up your own ass." He snarked, smirking when her jaw dropped in shock.

 _"Excuse_ me?" She demanded, her scowl intensifying as she regained her voice. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, don't give me that, you're not that _stupid."_ Taylor bit out, turning away and heaving a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair irritably. "Open your bloody eyes already! Michelle and her goons are just a bunch of petty, malicious _assholes_ who wanna make everyone as butt hurt as they feel over something they know _nothing about!"_ He huffed, shaking his head as he turned back to the fiery redhead. "They're _not_ your friends!" He cried in frustration, thrusting a hand back towards the school in emphasis.

" _Ya think I don't know that_?!" Rebecca screamed back, surprising Taylor out of his furious temper, as her face fell with guilt and remorse. "Ya think... I _want_ to be Michelle's sidekick?" She sniffed, swallowing back her grief as she raised desperate grey eyes to Taylors deep blue gaze. "Ya think I don't _know,_ she's literally the _worst person_ on the planet?" She asked, curling her arms around her chest, as she hunched in on herself.

Taylor blinked, eyeing her distrustfully for a moment, before finally giving into the gut urge that he should trust her. "Then why, Becca..?" He asked, frowning as he thought back to the pep rally; remembering her flawless tumbling pass, and how she tripped right after looking at Michelle. "Oh..." He said quietly, his heart aching with the startling realisation. "Oh, Becca... Did Michelle _threaten_ you?" 

"Wh-" Rebecca gasped, her head jolting up guiltily, already confirming his suspicions. "What d'ya mean?" She asked, glancing around nervously.

"Every time I see you guys together, you're a different person." Taylor said gently, though Rebecca still flinched as if he'd struck her. "Not _you..._ You kinda act like she has a knife to your throat, to be honest." He added, shaking his head in confusion as she lowered her gaze to her shoes. "What I don't get... Is how she could possibly be a threat to _you._ You're more popular than her, your family's well off..."

"That just means, I got more to _lose..."_ Rebecca muttered lowly, falling silent for a long moment before glancing over her shoulder suddenly.

"Becca..." Taylor urged, stepping closer and gently touching his fingers to her elbow, drawing her conflicted gaze back to his sincere one. "You can _trust_ me. Whatever it is... I just want to help."

Rebecca blinked, biting her lip uncertainly as Taylor really looked at her for what felt like the first time. He saw deep shadows beneath her dulled eyes, which concealer couldn't quite erase. "Michelle's..." She began hesitantly, choking on the words she had clearly never confided in anyone. Taylor curled his arms around her shoulders, drawing her close and allowing her to bury her face in his chest, her hands calling into fists. "... Blackmailin' me." She whispered into his chest, shuddering in both relief and fear as she finally confessed her burden.

 _"What?!"_ Taylor yelped, looking down in wide eyed disbelief, as Rebecca sniffled and drew back to peer up at him brokenly. _"Blackmail?!"_ He repeated, shaking his head and chafing her arms gently, as the puzzle clicked together in his mind. "So the fall, during the pep rally..." He murmured, his distant gaze snapping back to the redhead as she huffed despondently.

"Rule number _one..."_ She sneered, her fingers toying with the mesh of his sleeves distractedly. "Never outshine Michelle on the cheer squad." She said, her face contorting with fury as her eyes filled with tears of frustration. "Closely followed by rule _two,_ never talk back to Michelle..." She spat, finally venting all the things which had clearly weighed on her for some time. Taylor said nothing, comforting her as best he could, and encouraging her to continue venting to him. "And of course, rule _three;_ buy Michelle all the tacky ass sweaters and ankle booties she wants."

When she stopped speaking to pant for breath, Taylor shook his head slowly, his face falling in sympathy. _"Damn,_ Becca..." He breathed, as she swallowed heavily and rested her head on his shoulder while she regained her composure. "What the _hell_ does Michelle have on you..?" He wondered aloud, rubbing the redheads back gently.

"Oh, just a video; which could _totally_ tank my moms re-election campaign..." Rebecca scoffed, with a half delirious giggle. "And also earn me the title of 'worst daughter in the entire universe.' Ya know, the usual."

"I'm pretty sure Michelle's parents must already have dibs on that title..." Taylor huffed, drawing a surprised bark of laughter from the redhead. "You can be, like... _Second_ worst. Vice president of the worst." He said, snickering when she swatted his arm with a soft chuckle, obviously grateful for his attempts to cheer her up.

They were silent for a long moment, Taylor holding Rebecca close as she took comfort in no longer being alone to carry her burden. "... Michelle had this big birthday party over the summer." Rebecca finally said quietly, as Taylor gently swayed them on the spot and rubbed her back encouragingly. "It weren't really my scene, but... I felt like I had to make an appearance, ya know?"

"I do _not_ know, I have never had this problem." Taylor snickered lightly, earning himself another playful swat from her ridiculously strong, delicate hands. "The perils of being popular." He teased, as she rolled her eyes and sighed. 

"The worst part..." Rebecca said thickly, shaking her head regretfully. "Is that I actually had a _great_ night. It was the first time in _years,_ that I'd just let go and had fun. But then..." Rebecca sighed again, drawing back slightly to rub at her temples. "Whatever. Ya probably don't care about my dumbass mistakes. Hell, after tonight ya probably think i deserve 'em."

"Rebecca," Taylor said firmly, capturing her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her to meet his determined gaze with her startled one. "You can tell me _anything."_ He said, allowing a moment for his words to sink in, before releasing her chin.

 _"S-seriously?"_ She choked, her grey eyes wide with surprise and gratitude.

"Well, I mean... No pressure or anything." He hedged, scratching his ear awkwardly. "But, telling someone at last, might help you feel a little better." He said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently, as she swallowed thickly. "And... I promise, I won't judge you."

"Oh, Taylor..." Rebecca sighed, shaking her head as she huffed and shook her head slowly, a rueful grin curling her lips. "Why oh why, did ya have to be so determinedly uninterested in women? Ya like every girl's dream guy, sayin' stuff like that... And yet ya totally unavailable to us." She huffed, as Taylor sniggered. 

"What can I say? I'm just too picky." He teased, pleased that Rebecca seemed to be regaining her sense of humour at least. He waited, as she watched him and debated for a moment, before finally sighing and reaching up to at the end of her ponytail.

"Okay, fine..." She agreed, leading Taylor back to the fountain they'd met the others by, only a short while ago. Taylor glanced in the direction of the town, his heart lurching as he yearned to go find Diego, but also sensing his friend would want him to help their former friend if he could. "I swear though, Taylor, if ya tell a _soul-"_

"Yeah, yeah McKenzie, I know." He huffed, joining her by the fountain and sitting beside her. "You know I won't though... Pinkie swear." He said quietly, smirking as he held his little finger out to Rebecca.

The redhead stared at his finger in surprise, before slowly breaking out in a joyful smile, wrapping her own little finger around his as she raised her eyes to his fondly. "Damn, I _really_ missed ya, Taylor." She admitted quietly, as Taylor snorted and leaned forward to butt his head to hers. "Okay... Well, it was like mid June, and Michelle's parents were outta town. By the time I got to hers, the party was already in full swing, waves of thumpin' bass hits hittin' ya as soon as ya walked in her place..." She said, drawing away from Taylors embrace and gripping the edge of the fountain, qs she stared at the floor, lost within her memories. 

"I'd planned to just make an appearance really, had it all planned out in my head." She explained, as Taylor listened intently, his hand over one of her own in support. "A half hour to mingle, an hour to dance, a brief chat with Michelle to wish her many happy returns; then I wanted to be home by eleven thirty."

"Guessing that didn't quite pan out." Taylor snorted, as Rebecca threw him a withering glare. He chuckled quietly, and gestured for her to continue with her story.

"First person I ran into was that asshole captain of the basketball team." She said, shaking her head wryly. "He waved me over to the kitchen, and I pasted my biggest smile onto my face as I went over, because; appearances, ya know?" She said, sighing regretfully. "The guy really is an _asshole..._ He was tryin' to be all charming, obviously thinkin' he could get in my pants, but I think I'd sooner suck a _lemon_ than-"

 _"Please,_ no details." Taylor quickly interjected, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I might like dick and ass, but not when they walk and talk." He said, smiling when Rebecca burst out laughing.

"Oh my _god,_ Taylor..." She gasped, looking up at him as she shook her head fondly. "You're _ridiculous_ sometimes, ya know that, right?"

"It's my specialty." He said, smirking as he winked at her coyly. Rebecca squeezed his hand affectionately, before delving right back into her story.

"Well, anyway; I wanted to get away from him, so I asked if he knew where Michelle was." She said, rolling her eyes as she heaved a weary sigh. "Of course, guys like that _never_ get a hint. He gave me a rough answer, but wanted me to stick around awhile longer. I brushed him off as best I could, headin' after Michelle, and I swear I nearly punched him in the face when he called after me about how I was playin' hard to get..." She said, shivering as her face twisted with disgust. "I just waved though, and I eventually found Michelle with a buncha other girls by the couch."

Rebecca scowled, shaking her head as she recalled the events of the night. "She was complainin' about one of the other cheerleaders bein' higher than her on the pyramid... Sayin' she was the only one with any talent on the squad and she'd be top one day, even if it killed her. Like she just _deserved_ top spot, even without earnin' it, ya know?" She said hotly, her free hand balling tightly in her frustration.

"I'm guessing that you didn't let that one pass by without commenting on it." Taylor said, smiling softly as Rebecca snorted and shook her head.

"I did more than that, I told her straight up she was _totally_ outta line." Rebecca said, beaming over at Taylor proudly. She began to laugh, the sound lightening Taylors heart as he watched her face light up with joy, as it hadn't for so long. "She was so surprised to see me there... Her eyes must've been _this_ big!" She cackled, gesturing with her free hand and drawing Taylor into her laughter. "She was a total creeper about it, all false modesty and shame. I really let rip at her for badmouthing her teammates... and she promised not to do it again."

Rebecca paused, her amusement fading as she turned pensive and thoughtful. "Maybe I should've just cut and run after that. The other girls see, they started gigglin' and Michelle got pretty angry 'bout it, but she hid it real quick." She said, shaking her head at her past self's naivety, as Taylor squeezed her hand comfortingly. "'Course, I went and made the mistake of admittin' my mom weren't home and didn't even know I'd gone out, let alone to some forbidden party... They were so sympathetic, when I mentioned my mom bein' in election mode..." She said, swallowing thickly as she tried to hold back her grief and continue explaining.

"I... I tried to brush it off, but I think Michelle had already decided what to do at that point... had already decided to make me pay some day, though i foubt she knew she would get her chance so soon." Rebecca admitted quietly, looking back down at her shoes. "They were all so _nice_ and _friendly,_ I didn't see through it at all... We started dancing, and hours later, we were still goin'." She said, glancing up at Taylor with a grimace. "I... may have made some lame ass attempts at sexy dancing."

Taylor laughed gently, covering his mouth with his free hand when she slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "I'll give you some lessons for another time." He snickered, as she raised a brow at him. "Like, homecoming or something." He said, as Rebecca snorted and shook her head.

"Once I realised what the time was, I started freakin' out... I knew my mom would _kill_ me if she found out where I'd been." Rebecca sighed, staring vacantly into the dark trees at the edge of the school grounds. "I was headin' out, _literally_ going through the door... When I heard my name, and I saw Craig and that basketball captain by the stairs... I heard 'em, sayin' I would never be someone anyone could date, 'cause I was too _boring."_ She said quietly, swallowing back fresh tears at the stinging memory. "Their laughter is somethin' I still hear whenever I go to sleep at night... If and when I finally manage to."

"Becca..." Taylor murmured, squeezing her hand as his heart clenched for the girl, feeling her raw wound as if it were his own.

"I could hardly see... Everythin' was blurry, and I was trying _so_ hard not to cry. I just made it to the back door, when I slammed straight into Michelle..." Rebecca said thickly, fighting off her pain and drawing I a shaky breath so she could continue. "I was gonna go, tried to leave... but Michelle seemed so concerned. She took me upstairs so nobody would see me cryin'. She wanted to know what happened, and I fobbed her off a couple times but..."

"Eventually you couldn't keep it in anymore?" Taylor guessed, his free hand rising to rub at Rebecca's back gently. The redhead nodded, sniffing as she glanced up at Taylor brokenly.

 _"Exactly."_ She whispered, clutching at his hand almost desperately. "Finally, I... just had to know. I asked if people really thought I was borin'."

"Becca..." Taylor groaned, shaking his head as she looked over at him guiltily. "You must've _known_ that was a bad idea..." He huffed, trying to be supportive still, despite his urge to knock some sense into the redhead.

"At that point, I don't think I _cared."_ Rebecca admitted, swallowing thickly as she closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, her grey eyes latched onto Taylors deep blue orbs intently. "She was tryin' to cheer me up, in her own weird way, I think... But when she said that I had the perfect life, I just, _snapped."_ She said, her lower lip trembling as Taylor reached up to gently wipe away her tears. "I told her... how I _hated_ my life. And then, I just... I couldn't _stop._ It _all_ came out, Taylor." 

"That the perfect family, _aren't_ so perfect?" He asked quietly, as Rebecca blinked in surprise. Taylor avoided her eyes as he chuckled, continuing to gently dab at her eyes. "Let's just say I have a very _intimate_ understanding of just how to put on a show." He said evasively.

"Taylor -" 

"Keep going." Taylor insisted, meeting her eyes briefly as he cut off her concerned comment, before looking away again.

"... Yeah, ya right." Rebecca said slowly, still frowning at Taylor. "I just let rip, about everythin'. How mom and dad can't stand each other, and don't even bother tryin' to hide the fact they're  _both_ havin' affairs from me..." She said, shaking her head as she looked away shamefully. "I should've just shut up and gone home, but instead all these words just kep _pourin'_ outta me... How every night was some sorta screamin' match between my folks, unless they turned it on _me_ for steppin' outta line." She sighed, tipping her head back and looking up at the stars. "I started cryin', complaining about how I didnt even think they cared about me at all anymore, and how tired I was of havin' to be the _perfect_ daughter in our imperfect family..."

Rebecca's hand curled into a fist, her expression turning wistful as she watched the glittering stars. "Michelle gave me a hug. An _actual_ hug." She snorted quietly, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "I don't... remember the last time someone did that. I think it was before-" She said, trailing off as her cheeks flushed slightly and she looked back at the ground.

Taylor swallowed, his mind easily filling in the blanks. _Before I screwed everything up for everyone..._ He thought, lowering his gaze to where he still held her hand. _Before I got one of my best friends killed, and dragged you all along with me. Diego... Rebecca... Everyone. I'm so sorry_. He thought, his throat constricting painfully.

"The uh, the next mornin', I woke up to a text from Michelle." Rebecca said, clearing her throat as she wiped her eyes roughly.

"Don't tell me..." Taylor guessed, his voice thick from the heavy emotions weighing on his heart. He met her eyes, as she nodded knowingly.

 _"Yup."_ She sighed wearily, reaching up to tug at the end of her ponytail again. "She recorded the whole damn thing on her phone."

"Skank sunk _low,_ bro." Taylor said, shaking his head forlornly as Rebecca gave a surprised bark of laughter. 

"You sound just like Craig." She giggled, as Taylor wrinkled his nose in disgust and feigned outrage.

"Uh, ew." He sneered, poking the redhead in the arm. _"Excuse you,_ but that was _gross._ I demand you rescind that awful comment, right now, else I close the bank of Taylor hugs, effective immediately, McKenzie."

"Oh no, not the hugs..!" Rebecca teased, sniggering when he narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay, okay... Just cuz it _sounded_ like him, doesn't mean ya anythin' _like_ him..." She finally conceded, as hw poked her arm again for good measure, though he grinned as he did it.

His expression faltered, his irritation at the blonde returning as he thought about how Rebecca had been made to feel for the past several months. "So, even after someone actually showed a little trust in her, she couldn't see past her own agenda..." He said, shaking his head. "Her and Craig have really lost themselves, they never used to even consider being so... _horrible!"_

"Yeah... well." Rebecca said awkwardly, hunching her shoulders self consciously, before she straightened and looked over at him gratefully. "But, tellin' someone at last feel good. I kept that bottled up _so_ long..."

"Hey, anything that lets me see that smile again, makes me glad to have been able to help." Taylor said, bumping his fist to her jaw affectionately, as she rolled her eyes. "But..." He said, his light tone turning serious as he frowned at her. "Maybe if you told your parents what happened-"

"What the _hell,_ Taylor? Are you _insane?!"_ Rebecca cried, glancing around as her voice echoed around the empty fountain area. She quickly lowered her voice to a harsh whisper, leaning closer as she scowled at him. "Dad would ground me for twenty years solid, and then my mom would _literally_ murder me!" She hissed, shaking her head vehemently. "If she found out I endangered her _precious_ campaign..? She'd never let me leave the house again. And if that video ever gets out..." She sighed, her face scrunching into an angry snarl. "I can just see the headlines now... _Mayor's daughter tells all! McKenzie's marriage, family and entire political career; a sham_! Urgh..."

"So what, you're just gonna sit back and let Michelle take _everything_ from you?" Taylor demanded, scowling at Rebecca's suddenly slumping shoulders.

"I'll..." She said, swallowing heavily as she ran her hands over her ponytail distractedly. "I'll figure something out. I just, I dunno _what_ yet." She finally concluded, trailing off as the front doors of the school opened. She stiffened, her face crumpled with guilt as Quinn emerged, her eyes locked on the pavement and her face still wet with tears as she quickly moved towards the bus stop.

"Quinn!" Taylor called, causing her to look up in surprise. He waved, releasing Rebecca's hand and pushing himself to his feet as she gasped and hurried over.

"Oh my god, _Taylor!"_ She choked, wrapping him in a tight embrace and holding him close as she shivered, sniffing into his shoulder. "Are you alright? I was so worried!" 

"Hey, don't worry about me, I'm fine... You should worry about yourself more." He said, snorting when she merely held him tighter in response. "I was just..." He trailed off, as Rebecca set her hand on his shoulder and met his gaze confidently.

"He was just helpin' out a stupid girl, who stood by and let her friend get hurt too many times... When I should've been helpin' ya." She said, as Quinn raised her head in surprise, blinking at Rebecca distrustfully.

"You mean you've been doing Michelle's dirty work again, and been picking on Taylor?" She asked, her gaze hardening as suspicion filled her crystalline eyes. "What'd you _do?_ Did she hurt yo-?"

"Why does everyone think _I'm_ the one gonna get hurt?" Taylor whined playfully, snickering when Rebecca jabbed him in the arm in retribution, though her lips twitched at his teasing. "Honestly, its kinda insulting how you all think I'm some sorta weakling..."

"Shut up, Taylor." Rebecca snorted, rolling her eyes at him briefly, before looking over at Quinn and biting her lip uncertainly. "I... I'm so sorry, Quinn. I never wanted you to get hurt, for anyone to get hurt; that's why I got the idiot here, outta their way." She said, gesturing between Taylor and the school, ignoring his indignant huff and pout. "I _hate_ the way those guys treat you. I-"

"Then why don't you _say_ something?" Quinn asked, cutting Rebecca off angrily. "Why don't you do something other than _stand there_ and _let_ them?! I can't... I cant stop myself from remembering who she _used_ to be, the friend she was before I..."

"Quinn, I'm _so_ sorry." Rebecca said quietly, looking over at the other redhead imploringly. "It's complicated... and also _totally_ my own fault. But, I _won't_ stand by anymore, no matter what happens." She swore, glancing at Taylor as her lips twitched suddenly. She extended her hand towards Quinn, offering her little finger as Taylor burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, night of the pinkie promises." He snorted, as Quinn looked between them both as if doubting their sanity. "Look Quinn, suffice to say Becca's been having a rough time herself... But I think if we all stick together, like we _used_ to... We can actually start turning things around again." He said warmly, grinning affectionately as Quinn slowly brightened.

"He's right." Rebecca sighed, as if the confession pained her. "So, what d'ya say, beautiful? Maybe, I could buy ya a cinnamon hot cocoa, and explain everythin'?"

"Wow, two in one night? I'm proud of you, Becca..." Taylor snickered, yelping when the fiery red head flashed her grey eyes his way and stomped on his foot.

"But, ya know..." She continued quickly, as if Taylor hadn't interrupted her. "I'll also, totally understand if ya wanna just tell me to goto hell." She said, biting her lip as she gazed at Quinn hopefully. "You deserve way better friends than what I've been to ya..."

Quinn frowned, glancing up at Taylor briefly before staring hard at Rebecca for a long moment, the other redhead squirming beneath her crystalline gaze. Finally, she broke into a shy smile and wrapped her little finger around Rebecca's. "... You remembered."

"Duh," Rebecca snorted, as she and Quinn shared a gentle embrace. "Like I could forget it. We used to drink it all the time at sleepovers... Best friend privileges only." She added haughtily, when Taylor opened his mouth to protest his never being invited.

 _"Pfft,_ fine. I see how it is." He huffed, as the pair of redheads both giggled and began to move towards Rebecca's car. "What, I don't even get a lift?" He called, laughing when Rebecca spread her palms and winked, gesturing to her two seat car. _"Women."_ He sighed, throwing her a wink in return as she mouthed grateful thanks to him, before disappearing into the car and driving away. 

 _Good job, Becca.._. Taylor thought as he smiled, watching them drive around the far bend, before hitching his bag higher on his shoulder and continuing down the road to town on foot. He half jogged the short distance, and within a few minutes he was turning onto Main Street, where he immediately spotted his friends waiting in front of Gayle's Hardware. "Sorry, sorry!" He said, shaking his head as he raised his hands in placation of their irritated expressions. "Got held up by some Michelle drama. I had go to make sure Quinn and Rebecca were okay."

"Are they alright?" Sean asked quickly, his eyes clouding with guilt at the mention of his ex. "Was Craig-"

"Dude, I know you needed space, but I _really_ think its time you fixed your damn mess and stopped hiding from them." Taylor groused, his frustration from earlier in the evening returning. "Seriously, I think you need to get a grip and just _tell_ them. Maybe if you explain, they won't behave like such mega-dicks all the time." Sean lowered his eyes, his jaw locking tightly as Taylor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Raj and Zahra as they pointedly looked away from them. "Ready to head out?" Taylor asked wearily.

"I was thinking we oughta gear up before we go." Raj said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the hardware store, causing Sean's hands to ball into fists. 

"Leave momma's shop outta this!" He growled, as Taylor raised a brow at him, unimpressed by the unnecessary display. "Hell, just leave her _outta_ this! We-"

"Look, doodlejump!" Raj interrupted, holding up his palms in placation. "All I mean is, that dirt monster that went after Taylor; could still out there... Plus, who _knows_ what else, dude."

Sean glowered a moment longer, before sighing and nodding his head dejectedly. _"Ahem..._ Ignoring Sean's one man depiction of over protective son, Raj's got a point." Taylor sais, clearing his throat as he looked around the small group. "If Mr. Red _is_ back... we should be ready for anything."

Zahra held up her finger, and Taylor frowned before realising she had her cell phone held up to her ear. "Yeah, well, I'm telling you now." She said dryly, rolling her eyes at the voice which replied over her phone. "Look, Taylor and I are just working on a project together is all, and it's really..." She paused suddenly, before scowling darkly. _"No,_ Dad. And that was _one time,_ by the way. Ugh, here, I'll prove it." She said hotly, shoving the phone onto Taylors hands.

"What do I want with _this?!"_ Taylor whispered harshly, covering the mouthpiece with his hand quickly. "I don't wanna talk to him!"

"Yeah, well, neither do _I!"_ Zahra growled, scowling at Taylor like it was his fault her father was so suspicious of her.

"I don't know what to say! He'll _know..!_ I can't-!" Taylor protested, narrowing his eyes at Zahra as he tried to shove the phone back at her.

"Do it, dork!" Zahra snapped, glaring at him as she shoved the phone back towards him.

"I'm _not_ doing it!" Taylor insisted, trying to push the phone back into her hands again.

"Oh, yes you are!" Zahra fumed, as they continued to thrust the phone back and forth between them. "Or this fun little ghost hunt, is _so_ over."

Finally Taylor grit his teeth and scowled, raising the phone to his ear. "Oh, hi! Mr Namazi..." He said, trying to sound warm and less guilty than he felt. "It's been a long time! Huh?" He frowned, listening to the voice on the other end of the phone as Zahra smirked victoriously. "Yeah, I'm glad we're talking again too. Can't say how much I missed her... _sparkling personality_." He said dryly, narrowing his eyes at Zahra as she snorted in amusement.

"Wha..?" He choked, spluttering as his eyes widened and his cheeks turned red. "Uh, yeah... Yeah, she is completely safe from me, sir." He coughed awkwardly, as Zahra's cocky grin fell from her face in disbelief. "Yes... I am, yes. Completely, yes. No sir, there is no chance whatsoever... There will be no 'funny business' of any kind, I promise, yes." He said, as Zahra hid her face in her hands, mortified by what she suspected her father was asking. "Okay! Well... Yes, this is... super awkward, yes. Thankyou, Mr. Namazi. Yep, she won't be home too late, no. Yeah, not as much as I regret asking her over. Yeah. Thanks. Okay, bye!" He said quickly, hanging up and firmly shoving the phone back into Zahra's hands with a scowl. "That was the most awkward moment of my life."

"Yeah, me too." Zahra sighed, putting her phone away as she cleared her throat. She perked considerably as she realised she was now free for the evening. "Man, _sick!"_ She smirked, bumping her fist to Taylors shoulder as he pouted at her. "One call from you-"

"And an embarrassing conversation about how your virtue is entirely safe from me..." Taylor groused, though Zahra ignored his interjection entirely.

"... and I get to ditch curfew?" She sniggered, drawing in a deep breath as she looked around the town with a calculated gaze. "I don't know what to do with all this power..."

"Maybe next time we'll go on a date." Taylor spat mutinously, though his lips twitched against his will, betraying his amusement as Zahra began to cackle loudly.

"What, you mean this _isn't_ a date?" Zahra sneered, rolling her eyes as she smirked at him. "But I wore my sexy monster stomping boots and everything."

"I hate you so much right now." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he gave in and laughed, looking down at her boots with a wry grin. "Do you actually _have_ any other kind, though?"

"So, uh..." Raj said awkwardly, clearing his throat loudly as Taylor looked over to see that he and Sean were both standing a short distance away, clearly disturbed by everything they'd heard. "If that whole _weird_ exchange is over... can we go buy some hardware?"

"Yeah, I guess." Sean sighed, looking at his mothers store reluctantly, before snorting and looking back at the group. "Better be ready to defend ourselves from all those _spooooooky_ bushes." He chuckled quietly, rolling his eyes.

Raj's expression slowly darkened, the humour hardly seeming amusing to him. "Very funny." He said dryly, before turning and leading the way into the store. Once inside his friends wandered off to browse the aisles, Sean pausing a moment to glance at the counter, before seeming to relax suddenly and disappearing himself.

Taylor stopped in his tracks, staring at the guy behind the counter in surprise. _"You?!"_ He choked, immediately feeling his cheeks colour with embarrassment at his reaction.

The guy looked up from his phone, a slow smirk of recognition twisting his lips, as his cerulean gaze swept over him. "Well, if it ain't the blast from the past..." He snickered, tossing his phone aside as he propped his elbow on the counter and leaning his chin on his hand. "How's it goin', _Taylor?"_

"Hmm..." Taylor purred appreciatively, not even trying to deny to himself that he was very much enjoying the sound of his name on the guys tongue. "Sounds like someone figured out how we know each other." He said, forgetting about his friends entirely and sauntering up to the counter playfully, the guy watching him with obvious amusement. "Gonna let me in on the secret?" He asked coyly, waggling his brows suggestively, before feigning a innocent gasp. "Oh, wait, were you the guy I was messaging online... The one I was supposed to send _that_ video..." He said in a sly whisper.

The guy blinked, his eyes wide in surprise as his chin slipped free of his hand rest. Taylor laughed as the guy righted himself, running a hand through his long sandy hair as he swallowed heavily. "Well no it ain't, but damn... I'm kinda wishin' it were _now."_ He said gruffly, clearing his throat as his cheeks darkened slightly.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." Taylor snickered, biting his lip as he looked up at the guy from beneath his lashes. "There is no online guy... or, offline guy, or just... _any_ guy. Right _now."_ He said, clearing his throat as his attempt at flirting backfired. _"Ahem,_ you just looked way too smug at that moment. Had to bring you down a peg or two."

 _"Damn,_ I think you just brought me down a whole damn _ladder."_ The guy snorted, shaking his head as he eyed Taylor with thoughtful consideration.

"Well, at least I got something useful out of it." Taylor hummed, grinning when the guy raised a brow at him skeptically. "I found out that if I did happen have that video... You'd be interested in seeing it."

The guy snorted, rolling his eyes as he leaned back from the counter. "Damn, outsmarted by a school kid." He groused, folding his arms over his chest and chuckling at Taylors outraged pout. "Sorry, _eighteen year old_." He said, smiling when Taylor laughed.

"I'm never gonna live that down, am I?" Taylor sighed dramatically, shaking his head forlornly, despite the smile on his face. "So. C'mon..." He said at last, taking up the guy's place and leaning forward on the counter. "'Fess up, how'd we know each other?" 

"I guess I _could_ tell ya..." The guy huffed, stroking his stubble thoughtfully as he grinned crookedly and slowly leaned forward on the counter again himself, leaving only a short space between them. "But it's _so_ much more fun to mess with ya..." He drawled in a husky whisper, as Taylor grinned and bit his lip, shifting his weight slightly as excitement lit up his nerves.

"You only wanna mess _with_ me?" Taylor shot back lowly, tipping his chin toward the guy and startling a laugh from him. Taylors heart skipped a beat, a brief rush of power flooding him as he considered that he was actually flirting with someone; intentionally, and they seemed to be returning his interest.

"Ya really are a forward little thing, ain't ya?" He huffed, shaking his head as his eyes glittered with amusement. "And here I thought ya couldn't get anymore forward than this mornin'..." Taylors deep blue eyes met the guys cerulean gaze, briefly lingering to pick out the rare flecks of green within them before his brows began dancing suggestively, making the guy laugh again. "Fearless, huh?

"Hmm, depends what I'm doing and how bad I want something." Taylor said, cocking his head slightly to show off a little of his neck, grinning lopsidedly when he caught the guy glance at the offering.

"And uh, how bad do ya want... whatever ya might be wantin', right now..?" The guy asked, slightly hesitant in his distracted curiosity, but his confidence quickly returning. Taylor smirked broadly and winked as he waved his brows playfully, giving no verbal response.

"Alright, I'll give ya a hint then..." The guy said, clearing his throat as his eyes narrowed slightly, raising his eyes to Taylors curious and amused gaze again. "I figured out who ya were... when my sister mentioned that you helped her out at ya little pep rally this mornin'."

"Huh? Pep rall... oh!" Taylor gasped, his eyes widening as he ran them over the guy again, this time in realisation and awe; as he finally put name to face, his cheeks staining with a hot red, as the guy smirked at him. "Holy shit... You're Rebecca's brother!" He gasped, blinking in disbelief as the guy snorted at his shock. 

"Bingo!" He snickered, his eyes flicking over Taylor briefly in appraisal. "You always were the smarty pants of that little group..." He said, as Taylors gut twisted pleasantly at the praise, his heart fluttering in rapidly building attraction.

"Oh my god... Hurricane Jake McKenzie..." He snickered, as Jake groaned and rubbed his brow.

"I ain't never gettin' rid of that name, am I?" He sighed, shaking his head ruefully as Taylor laughed.

"Well, you broke a lot of hearts when you ran off to join the navy, you know?" He said, eyeing Jake with redoubled interest. "I'm fairly certain half the town is still in shock from the way you took off."

"Oh, _really?"_ Jake snorted, though his cheeks were noticeably darker as he met Taylors gaze again. "What can I say, I'm a popular guy." He sighed, as if he were confessing to carrying some great burden, his eyes flicking over Taylor again as he snickered in amusement. "You one of those 'lil broken hearts?" He asked slyly, drawing a full blown laugh from Taylor.

"Wow, so _modest_ too!" He chuckled, winking as he leaned in slightly closer, biting his lip as if about to confess a secret. "You have to earn _that_ answer..." He stage whispered, as Jake huffed and shook his head in amusement.

"Ya actually givin' me a run for my money here..." Jake admitted fondly, examining Taylor as he leaned back to his former position again. "Ya obviously get plenty o' practise at this sorta thing." He said, clearing his throat thickly.

"Wow, that was the _worst_ and most _obvious_ prod for information I've ever heard." Taylor laughed, his cheeks darkening as he lowered his gaze to the table. "But... You're _wrong,_ in pretty much _every_ way." He said, glancing up from beneath his lashes as Jake frowned, before his eyes suddenly widened in realisation.

"Ya gotta be _shittin'_ me..." Jake choked, standing straight as he began to pat his chest, coughing from the shock as Taylor chuckled and lowered his eyes. _"Damn._ If this is how ya act as a..." Jake began, clearing his throat again, as he ran his eyes over Taylor as if seeing him for the first time. _"Hell,_ I feel sorry for whoever tries to deny ya anythin' ya want, put it that way..." He huffed, as Taylor raised a brow.

"That mean you wouldn't even bother trying to?" Taylor asked, a lopsided grin spreading across his face as Jake snorted and ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"Guess I walked into that one..." He huffed, pausing a moment as he met Taylors eyes and seemed to consider his answer carefully. "I guess it'd depend, on just what ya were askin' me for..."

"Well that's a _boring_ answer..." Taylor said, pouting as Jake chuckled and shook his head.

"It's a _safe_ answer." He corrected, and Taylor felt his heart swell at the unspoken confession that Jake might have wanted to give a very _un_ safe answer, if they weren't in so public a environment.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, narrowing his eyes playfully, as Jake folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the opposite side of the counter. "So, how's things been for you then, since you up and abandoned our _delightful_ little town?" 

"Pretty good, I guess." Jake said, jumping on the safer conversation gratefully. "I got in the Navy, and I'm the best damn pilot they've seen in a decade." He said, shrugging his shoulder as he looked away. "Booked some leave, figurin' I should be around for campaign season... Make sure Mom and Becca don't murder each other. Knew I'd need a bit of space sometimes though, so figured gettin' a part time job here would ensure I could always get outta dodge when I need to."

"Very thoughtful of you." Taylor said, sensing a faint hint of dishonesty, but choosing not to pursue it. _Guys entitled to his privacy... Besides, maybe he'll open up later_. He thought, smiling as Jake noticeably relaxed when he said nothing further about his time away. "So, are you happy to be home?" He asked, unsubtly changing the subject.

"Sure," Jake said unconvincingly, shrugging his shoulder again. "Been good to see Becca and catch up with a few old friends... And meetin' cocky little brats, can't say that's been borin'." He snorted, casting a sly glance back at Taylor as he grinned and snickered proudly. He sobered however as Jake sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in obvious frustration. "Glad I'm stayin' at a friends though, 'cause I don't think I could handle stayin' in the family house again... _Definitely_ can't say that I missed my folks lecture's, either." He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Every time I go over there it's 'come home and go to college' this and 'get a haircut' that-"

"No, don't do _that!"_ Taylor yelped suddenly, flushing hotly when Jake blinked at him in surprise. "I mean, uh..." He coughed, clearing his throat as he leaned back from the counter and tried to aoear nonchalant. "It suits you... as is." He said awkwardly, looking at his hand as he drew nonsense patterns on the edge of the counter.

"Heh, well I weren't actually _considerin'_ it, but I'm suddenly feelin' strangely attached to my rebel hair." Jake finally chuckled, eyeing Taylors embarrassed blush with a grin. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Boy Scout."

"Boy Scout?" Taylor yelped, wrinkling his nose as he looked up at Jake curiously, who began to sniggered at his startled expression.

"It's a habit I got from my bunkmate... I nickname people I'm fond of." Jake admitted, as Taylor raised a brow curiously.

"'Fond of', huh?" He asked, his lip curling into a smirk as Jake took a turn at flushing guiltily. "Well, I guess in that case I better start calling you, Top Gun..." He said, grinning cockily when Jake laughed at him.

"I see what'cha did there, very clever." He snorted, shaking his head. "But you'll never keep it up, Boy Scout. Takes talent and determination to stick it out and get to be as good as me..." 

 _"Pfft,_ just watch me Flyboy." Taylor huffed, as Jake's grin grew, seeming genuinely pleased with the direction of their interaction. "I'll be thinking up the most badass nicknames you ever heard." 

"Sure ya will." Jake laughed, rolling his eyes as Taylor smirked and made a mental note to look up a bunch of pilot related nicknames on his phone when he got home.

"Hmm, I'll soon show you, doubter." He huffed, as Jake continued to chuckle at him, watching him fondly. Taylor grinned, leaning his hip against the side of the counter, as he raised a brow at Jake consideringly. "So... Are you single?"

Jake choked on his laughter, his eyes lit with amusement as he ran them over Taylor again. "Real subtle there, Boy Scout." He snorted, as Taylor shrugged his shoulder lightly. The pilot smirked as he cocked his head, leaning forward on the counter again. "As it so happens... I _am."_ He said slowly, his eyes intent as if he could sense the way Taylors heart sped up. "Why, ya takin' a survey? He asked playfully.

"Nope." Taylor replied, waving his brows briefly as Jake snickered. "Maybe I'm just showing friendly curiosity in the towns lone wolf." He said lightly, pretending his heart wasn't crashing rapidly against his chest.

"Uh _huh..."_ Jake hummed, smirking knowingly as he straightened from the counter again. "So, anyway..." He said, clearing his throat ans pointedly changing the subject. "What brings you to Gayle's Hardware, 'ya local source for all things home improvement'?" He asked curiously.

"Uh, home improvement?" Taylor replied stupidly, laughing when Jake rolled his eyes at him. "I was just-" Taylor trailed off, his eyes catching by something hanging up on the wall behind Jake's head. "What is _that?!"_ He demanded breathlessly, his eyes widening as he beheld the tool.

"Hmm?" Jake hummed, turning to follow Taylors eyes to see what had grabbed his attention. "Oh, the pole saw?" He asked, reaching up to take the tool down from its hooks and handing it to Taylor over the counter.

 _"Ooh..."_ Taylor huffed, hefting the pole saw in his hands, unable to suppress a wide grin. "This is so _awesome..!"_ He choked giddily, biting his lip as he examined the tool closely.

"Nice, ain't it? Perfect for prunin' those high up branches." Jake explained with a perfect salesman pitch. "Or ya know, fightin' off zombies." He snorted, as Taylor yelped and almost dropped the pole saw in surprise, recalling just what he was after such an item for. "Unfortunately," Jake drawled slowly, raising a brow at Taylors reaction. "It's also just a display model. Should have 'em back in stock in a few days though."

"Aw, _damn..."_ Taylor sighed, reluctantly handing the pole saw back. "The stuff I could've done with that." He huffed petulantly, as Jake returned it to its place on the wall. "Guess I'll just... look around then." He pouted, looking up at the pole saw longingly.

"Sure thing." Jake said, turning and leaning back against the wall. "Just whistle if ya need me, Boy Scout."

"Yes _sir,_ Top Gun, sir!" Taylor snickered, saluting roughly and startling a rough bark of laughter from Jake. He winked, smiling as he backed away from the counter, bumping into a display and cursing as he grabbed at it to stop anything falling. His cheeks burnt as he stabilised everything, turning quickly at Jake's soft chuckles and hurrying along a narrow aisle to hide and die of embarrassment out of the pilots sight.

"Oh my _god..."_ He mumbled, burying his burning face in his hands. _I finally master the art of flirting with a hot guy, and I manage to end up seeming like a total klutz..._ He thought, running his hands up through his hair in frustration. _Maybe I'll get lucky and he just... didn't notice that whole, thing_. He groused to himself.

"Hey Taylor!" Sean called, as he rounded a corner to hide at the back of the store. He turned to see his friend holding a large bag of cement. "Think I can lift _this_ over my head?" He asked, grinning broadly as he looked over at Taylor excitedly.

"I think you're gonna hurt yourself..." Taylor snickered, cocking his head as he smirked and raised a brow as he stepped closer. "But, if you really wanna lift something... You should try lifting _me!"_

"Challenge accepted!" Sean laughed, promptly tossing the bag of dry cement aside as Taylor laughed. "Stand like this..." He said, crossing his arms and ankles. Taylor mimicked him, smirking as Sean hooked his hands under Taylors knee and bicep. "Ready?" He asked, his eyes alight with amusement. "One, two, _three!"_ He huffed, hoisting Taylor up onto his chest and then over his head.

 _"Whoa!"_ Taylor snorted, giggling wildly. "Oh my god! Okay, okay! Now put me down, you... strong person." He snickering as Sean continued to hold him aloft over his head.

"Hang on!" Sean huffed, smirking up at him smugly. "Just a couple more reps in the set!" He said, and Taylor laughed helplessly as Sean pressed him overhead a few more times, before gently setting him back on his feet.

 _"Damn,_ Sean!" Taylor snickered, stumbling as he regained his feet and looked over Sean's powerful arms. "You're a _beast!"_ He laughed, as Sean grinned proudly. "Just try not to wear yourself out before we even get to the woods."

"Heh," Sean huffed, smirking as Taylor snickered in amusement. "I'm just getting warmed up." He said, winking as he began doing curls with a coiled up garden hose. Taylor laughed and shook his head, wandering off to check out another aisle.

It only took a few minutes to find Raj, browsing another aisle near the back of the store. "Find anything useful?" He asked, tipping his chin toward the display before his friend.

"Not unless you wanna go after Mr. Red with a bunch of duct tape and twine, dude." Raj scoffed, as Taylor gave a half hearted laugh and moved to scan the shelves on the other side.

He laid his hand over his chest, feeling his heart race nervously at the mention of Mr. Red, hysteria bubbling in his veins. "I don't know how you can be so calm." He said quietly, as Raj raised a curious brow at him. "I'm on the verge of a breakdown over here..."

"Yeah, looked like it when you were busy flirting with the store guy and Sean." Raj said, chuckling quietly as Taylor flushed.

"That was... _ahem,_ a very tactful distraction from my nerves." Taylor protested with a pout, pointedly looking away as his cheeks flared with heat.

Raj snorted, dropping the subject with a shake of his head. "Calm..." He began a moment later, swallowing thickly as Taylor looked over at him uncertainly. _"Calm_ isn't the word I'd use. I just..." He said, his gaze turning distant as he clearly thought back to their turbulent past. "I... have to know." He sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "Taylor, dude... This has been haunting me for years. What we did... what _he_ did."

Taylor was struck by a sudden, vibrant memory; a small child with eyes lit by delight, giggling wildly as they ran through the trees. "Come _on,_ Taylor!" They called eagerly, as Taylor shivered and violently shook himself from the memory, the happy laughed of his childhood echoing in the back of his mind.

"Yeah..." He gasped, exhaling a long and shaky sigh as he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "Me too." He said, swallowing heavily as Raj drew in an unsteady breath.

"Mom... blames me, you know?" The large boy admitted distantly, avoiding Taylors guilt ridden eyes by staring at the display before him. "For... _everything._ Her sister's suicide, for dad leaving right after."

"I'm sure that's not true, Raj-" Taylor began, only to fall silent as the larger boy chuckled darkly, the sound lacking any warmth or amusement.

"It is, dude." He said lowly, his eyes distant as he thought of his mother. "She's said it to my face. _Regularly,_ actually." He huffed, drawing in a deep breath and clearing his throat. "My Grandma used to tell me it wasn't true but, she uh... she hasn't exactly reassured me for awhile."

"Raj," Taylor said awkwardly, reaching out for the large boys shoulder hesitantly. "I'm _so_ sorry..." He said, as Raj shrugged.

"The worst part is that... and this sounds lame as hell doodlejump, I know, but the day I lost my cousin..." Raj said slowly, looking down at him with such a broken expression that Taylors heart melted with grief and guilt alike. "I lost my _whole_ family. My mom, my dad, _you guys..._ everyone."

"Raj..." Taylor said, steeling his heart with determination. "You didn't lose me, dude." He said warmly, a small smile gracing his lips. "I might've got a little waylaid for awhile... But, I'm here for you _now._ And I always will be." He promised firmly.

"That's corny, dude." Raj huffed quietly, shaking his head slowly. "Also, not true." He added, as he averted his eyes.

"Trying to have a moment here, Raj." Taylor groused, pouting as Raj refused to meet his eyes again. He bit his lip, shuffling his foot guiltily. "I never wanted all of us to fall apart... I hope it's not too late for us to come back together."

Raj shrugged indifferently, but Taylor saw a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Anything's possible." He huffed, as Taylor sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling.

"I wish things were different..." He said quietly, biting his lip as he thought back to how close they'd once been; and how that closeness had disappeared in the space of a single, awful day.

"Yeah." Raj said, nodding his agreement. "Me too." He said, the pair of them falling silent as they continued to browse the aisle until Zahra's voice drifted over to them.

"Yo, Taylor, ready to have your mind blown?" She asked, smirking as Taylor turned to see her standing with Sean at the end of the aisle. Zahra held up a baseball bat in one hand, and a garland of barbed wire in the other.

 _"Someone's_ been playing too many zombie shooters." Sean teased, grinning despite himself at the obvious idea Zahra had put together.

"Ignore this _philistine."_ Zahra scoffed, tossing the barbed wire over the bat so she could press her hand to Sean's face and shove him away with a smirk. "He's just jealous of how totally badass you'll look swinging this around."

 _"Niiiice."_ Taylor drawled, grinning widely as he eyed the potential weapon. "It clobbers, it shreds... it bashes in dirt monster brains." He said, chuckling as he held out his hands and made eager grabby gestures at the materials.

"Damn... yeah, that'll work." Raj agreed, his eyes wide as he considered the damage the weapon could inflict. "You gonna get it, dude?"

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed thoughtfully, biting his lip as he pretended to consider briefly. _"Hell yeah,_ I'm getting it!" He finally huffed, an uncontrollable grin spreading across his face.

"A badass bat like that has to have a name." Zahra insisted, her eyes narrowing as Taylor opened his mouth to deny the idea, causing him to rapidly change his mind.

"I uh, I guess I'll name it..." He said, holding the items out before him and cocking his head in consideration. _"Candy."_ He decided, snickering at such a cheesy name for the bat. 

"Candy, huh?" Zahra asked, nodding her head thoughtfully. "Rad. I like it." She said after a pause, as Taylor grinned and looked around his friends with a newfound determination and hope in his heart.

"Okay, we all done here?" He asked, surprisingly eager to be on their way at last. He watched as Sean and Zahra both nodded, while Raj hesitated a moment, loitering by a corner display.

"Yeah..." The large boy hummed distractedly, half turned towards a shelf full of flashlights. Taylor raised a brow, looking his friend over briefly, before glancing at the flashlights.

"Did you wanna get something..?" He asked, as Raj sighed and swept the beanie hat from his head, scratching his ear briefly, before resettling his hat over his tied up hair.

"I guess..." He said slowly, his lips twisting into a grimace. "I was just thinking about how dark it's gonna be out there. I don't love the idea of something sneaking up on us..." He sighed, before gasping and reaching toward the display. "This one could even double as a club!" He said eagerly, grinning as he picked up a heavy black flashlight. He looked at the price tag, and flinched, before quickly putting it back on the shelf. "Uh, never mind. I'll be fine." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat and looking away.

Taylor frowned, stepping around the large boy to look at the display for himself. _Well, it's not like I'm short._.. He thought, thinking of the overly generous allowance which was deposited into his account every week, in order to save his parents returning home _. I could probably get five of these and still have enough to last me til another three weeks time, even with everything I'd have to get_... He hummed, grinning as he picked up the flashlight and pressed it into Raj's hand. "I got this." He said, as Raj blinked at him in surprise. "Call it an early birthday present... Or, a late one; for all those that I've missed."

 _"Seriously,_ dude?!" Raj cried, gripping the flashlight tightly in his hands, his eyes wide as he looked from the object to Taylor in disbelief. "Thanks, Taylor!"

"Don't mention it." He said, smiling as affection swelled in his heart for his friend. He carried his items up to the counter, pointing to the flashlight in Raj's hand as well, and Jake rang him up with a raised brow.

"Find everythin' ya need?" He asked, eyeing the bat and the barbed wire with open curiosity. "And do I even wanna ask, just what ya gonna be gettin' up to?"

"One, I believe we're all set, yeah." Taylor said, biting his lip briefly as he handed over his card, as his cheeks coloured slightly. "Secondly, _no,_ you do not... Unless you're especially interested in my plans to redesign my bedroom."

Jake coughed, clearing his throat as Taylor winked at him, when he looked over at him in surprise. "Alright, then." He said, tactfully avoidin the subject of Taylors bedroom, and handing Taylor his card back with a final glance over him. "See you around then, Boy Scout."

"Definitely." Taylor said slyly, his heart lurching in his chest as his cheeks began to heat further, when he heard his friends begin to giggle behind him. _"Ahem,_ see ya Top Gun..." He said, steeling himself as he opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air, his hip catching on the handle as he looked back at Jake. He cursed, flushing in embarrassment as the man behind the counter snorted at him and shook his head.

"Urgh, kill me now..." Taylor groaned, as the others followed him out with amused expressions.

"Careful what you wish for little doodlejump..." Raj warned, as he led the small group through the back roads out of town. "Remember where we're going." He said, as Taylor hummed and sobered, beginning to wrap the barbed wire around his new bat. He looked up as they reached the edge of the dark woods, the group all pausing in tense silence. Taylor finished his modifications to Candy, and gave it a few experimental swings.

"Alright." He said suddenly, startling the others from their own thoughts. "Now I'm ready for anything." He said determinedly, gazing into the ominous woods before them with his heart fluttering nervously.

"Let me know if you need someone to hold your hand." Sean said quietly, winking at Taylor before striding forward. His steps barely faltering, as he crossed into the dense trees.

"Here's hoping we don't get eaten, possessed or maimed." Zahra droned, her hands in her pockets as she walked forward unhurriedly.

"So," Raj said, drawing in a deep breath as he took a step forward and half turned back to Taylor. "You coming, or what?" He asked, heading into the woods after the others.

Taylor found himself suddenly alone, a chill creeping down his spine as he stared into the dark trees after his friends. A crow cawed, perched in the branches of a nearby pine tree. The bird watched Taylor with one glossy black eye as he took a deep breath, before finally stepping into the woods. He trailed behind Raj, the bright beam of his flashlight illuminating the path ahead. "Well, at least we can see where we're going..." He huffed lowly, glancing around the darkness outside of the beam.

"Well, this place is as creepy as ever little dudes." Raj sniffed, narrowing his eyes as he looked around suspiciously, as if expecting Mr. Red to leap our at them at any moment.

"I don't know..." Taylor said, trying to avoid the others curious gazed. "It kind of feels like... _home."_ He said quietly, thinking that his own home felt similarly empty and void of life. As they paused to get their bearings, a cool breeze brushed past, carrying a faint but familiar whistling sound that near froze Taylors heart. He turned sharply, looking into the distance as his breath came in startled, shallow gasps.

"Taylor?" Raj cried, his eyes wide as Taylor began to move away dazedly, drawn by the familiar trilling. "Where are you _going?"_

"You don't hear that?" Taylor asked distractedly, half glancing back with a faint frown marring his brow. "It's coming from this way..." He said, leading the group deeper into the woods. The sound drew him to the base if an old, twisted tree, where something hung from the lowest branch. Taylor swallowed thickly, reaching forward with trembling hands to take hold of the familiar, old fashioned whistle.

Raj appeared at his side a moment later, as Taylor stared down at the whistle vacantly, its tarnished surface gleaming in the moonlight. "Is that..?" He asked in a stuttered whisper, his gaze rising to Taylors vacant expression.

"I thought it was lost." Taylor murmured softly, turning the old whistle over in his fingers absently. He clutched his hand around it tightly, gasping a deep breath as he felt his eyes sting, averting his eyes as Zahra and Sean caught up to him and Raj.

"Whoa," Sean choked, his eyes wide as he looked up at Taylor in disbelief. "Where'd _that_ come from?" He asked curiously, as Taylor blinked and tried to get a handle on his emotions.

"Weird." Zahra said flatly, looking unimpressed by the whistle or its sudden appearance. Taylor glanced at them both, before meeting Raj's heavy gaze, clearing his throat as he looked away again.

"It was... I gave it to _them_ for their birthday." Taylor said, his voice trembling slightly from the memories and emotions which tried to overwhelm them. "If they ever got into trouble, then all they had to do was blow it, and..." Taylor trailed off, his voice cracking with the heavy burden weighing on his heart. _"And..."_ He finally stopped shirt, tears welling in his eyes as he almost lost himself to his grief.

Luckily however, Raj interrupted by clearing his throat loudly, giving Taylor a brief moment to recompose himself. "You hear that?" The large boy demanded suddenly, gazing suspiciously around the area with wide eyes.

The group stopped speaking, falling into a tense silence as Taylor closed his eyes and listened carefully. He heard the wind, moving through the trees; as well as something else moving too. "Oh boy... I get the feeling this is gonna suck." He sighed, his hand curling tighter around the handle of his baseball bat. "I think something's coming guys. I don't know what it is... but be ready." He said, before yelping suddenly and jumping in surprise, as Raj grabbed hold of his forearm.

 _"Don't..."_ He breathed, his eyes wide as he stared past Taylor. _"Move..."_ He whispered roughly, as Taylors heart lurched in nervous anticipation.

Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, Taylor turned his head following Raj's petrified gaze. Twenty feet down the path, transfixed in the beam of Raj's flashlight, Taylor could see a twisted creature of vines and bone.

 _"Grrrrrr..."_ It rumbled threateningly, as Taylor swallowed and tried to slow the rapid thumping of his heart against his ribs.

"That's _not_ a dirt monster." Raj exclaimed in a strained whisper, his disbelief palpable in the air around them.

"That's a skeleton." Zahra choked, her own eyes widening as she stared at the creature. "A _walking_ skeleton." She amended, as the creature began to creep forwards.

"Oh, hell no." Sean growled, shaking his head minutely as he watched the beast approach them slowly. "I did _not_ sign up for this."

"Taylor..." Raj stammered, his grip tight on Taylors forearm still, as he held the flashlight as steady on the creature as he was able. "Wh-what do we do, dude?"

Taylor watched as the creature advanced, a gob of sticky, yellow saliva dripping grin its jaws. "You're right, Sean." He muttered, his fingers curling tighter into the bat handle, until his knuckles turned white. "None of you guys signed up for this... You should all get the hell out of here."

"What?" Zahra demanded, scowling over at Taylor in irritated disbelief. "Are you _insane?_ Wait, _don't_ answer that." She grumbled, rolling her eyes at him.

 _"Grrrrrrrrr..."_ The creature growled again, crouching low on its forepaws. _"Rah!"_ The beast barked suddenly, lunging forward.

 _"Run!"_ Taylor cried, his heart racing with panic, as he wheeled around and bolted into the trees, his friends crashing through branches and undergrowth on either side. As he dodged around a fallen tree, Taylor gasped, spotting another hulking shape loom up in front of him, blocking his path.

 _"Arrrroooooo!"_ It howled loudly, snapping its jaws toward Taylor threateningly, as it snarled and dripped more sticky gobs of saliva.

 _"Aaah!"_ Taylor cried, making a sharp left turn as the creature howled again. It fell in beside the first creature, their skeletal limbs clicking as they ran. "I am too pretty to die by being a dead doggy chew toy!" He gasped, as the creatures growled and snapped at his heels.

"Taylor!" Raj yelled, meeting Taylors eyes as he glanced over to the larger boy, who's expression was riddled with realisation and horror. "We need to turn around!" He cried, his eyes widening as Taylor raised an uncomprehending brow. "We're heading straight for the ruins!"

 _"What?!"_ Taylor choked, stumbling as he looked around their surroundings more closely. "Shit, you're right! Come on-!" He called, attempting to move to the right, only for one of the creatures to surge forward, forcing him back onto the path. "Oh my god..." He panted, glancing at the creature as it fell back with a faint snarl. "I think they're _herding_ us! They _want_ us to go to the ruins!" He cried in realisation.

"And they _don't_ want us to find Diego!" Raj assumed, scowling as he ran alongside Taylor, his flashlight illuminating the woods around them ominously as they ran.

While still running, Taylor quickly glanced around. One creature trailed behind them, driving them forward; while the other stuck close to their right. "Alright, guys..." He huffed, willing himself to feel the determination he tried to inject into his tone of voice for his friends. "On my signal, we'll go right! They obviously don't want us to go that way..." He called.

"... So, that's where we need to go!" Raj concluded, as Taylor glanced around his friends to receive confirming nods from each of them.

"Ready..." He huffed, counting to three in his head. _"Now!"_ He cried, streling himself and making a sudden, hard turn to the right, dodging past the mossy creature.

 _"Rah!"_ The beast yelped, skidding to an unsteady halt, as it jerked it's head up in surprise. It snapped at Taylor, but missed his leg by mere inches.

Covering his face, Taylor crashed through a thick wall of bushes with his friends, and found themselves in a quiet, moonlit clearing. Taylor doubled over, panting heavily, as his friends skidded to a halt beside him. "Hey man, we've gotta keep moving." Sean urged, his hand settling on Taylors shoulder. "Those freaky skeleton things are right behind us!"

"We need to find Diego, _fast."_ Raj panted, wiping his brow to clear away the loose strands of hair plastered to his face by sweat. "What if those things are after him too?" 

"Yeah, about that..." Zahra scoffed, her eyes wide as she stared at something across the other side of the clearing. Taylor forced himself upright, following her gaze to see another of the skeletal creatures, crouching over a still figure, lying in the dirt.

"Oh my god..." He choked, his heart swelling abruptly, choking him as his throat constricted with fear and concern. _"Diego?!"_ He cried,shaking his head in disbelief as his best friend failed to respond.

"Hey!" Raj yelled, glaring at the creature threateningly. "Get _away_ from him!" He demanded, brandishing his flashlight as if about to use it as a weapon.

The creature released Diego's leg, raising its head to snarl at taylor and his friends. He felt the fear racing throughout his body begin to converge, crackling like a flame just catching to a log. Answering growls erupted from all around them, and suddenly the woods became full of burning amber eyes and glinting teeth. Taylors fist curled tighter around Candy, the barbed wire glittering wickedly in the moonlight; as his fear slowly turned to fury and his expression hardened, as he gazed over at his best friends prone form.

"Get ready..." He said lowly, scowling around the gathered creatures. "I am _not_ letting them take Diego." He growled, his feet twisting in the earth slightly as he prepared himself for the fight he knew was coming.

"This is not the way I thought today was going to go..." Sean huffed, running a hand over the back of his neck briefly before flashing Taylor a wide grin. He cracked his knuckles and bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly, a light shrug lifting his shoulders briefly. "But hey, beats homework."

"Heh, I guess so." Taylor snorted, surprised out of his awful mood briefly by Sean's eagerness to crack some creature skulls. He turned as he caught movement from his other side, to see Zahra stoop down and pull a long knife out of her boot.

"What the-" Raj cried, blinking wide eyes over at Zahra and shaking his head, as she raised a brow at them all. "Where'd that come from, dudette?!" 

"Given that knives at school are an expulsion level offense," Zahra said slowly, throwing a conspiratorial wink to the group. "Let's just say 'the hardware store'." She said, twirling the knife expertly across her palm.

"Glad you came prepared..." Taylor huffed, grinning at the now armed girl with a curious expression. "I feel so weird right now, like... I _wanna_ be turned on by this whole rebel slash prepared zombie slayer thing, but... Your boobs are just such a turn _off,_ Skrillex."

"Skrillex?" Zahra choked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "What the hell is that supposed to be? Some new, lame ass code name for this pile of horse shit, rescue mission?" She demanded, as Taylors cheeks flushed with warmth.

"No, just... a nickname." He said awkwardly, coughing to clear his throat. _"Ahem,_ anyway... Why is _that_ what bothers you? Not me, complaining about your girlie bits?" He asked curiously.

"Taylor, please." Zahra scoffed, rolling her eyes as she twirled her knife until the handle was back in bed palm. "If you ever did anything _but_ complain about a girls bits, I'd think one of these mutts had probably possessed you..." She snorted, as Taylor snickered. 

Raj's knuckles turned white, as he shifted his grip on his flashlight. "I'm ready, dude." He said, preparing to swing his torch like a bat.

Taylor looked around his friends, each ready to fight beside him, and he felt his nerves settle into determination once more. "Well then..." He said, gripping Candy tightly. "Let's _do_ this." He said, drawing in a deep breath as he swung his weapon up over his shoulder and scowled at the creature hovering over his best friend. " _Witness me_!" He yelled loudly, and at the sound of his voice, the strange plant and bone creatures sprang into action, closing in from all sides.

 _"Arooooo!"_ They howled, as one charged straight towards Taylor, snarling and snapping it's large discoloured fangs.

"Come and get it." Taylor scoffed, widening his stance as he lined up his aim with Candy and smashed it forward with expert timing. With a loud crunch, Candy caved in the creature's ribcage.

 _"Shreeee!"_ The creature whined, yelping and flailing as it fell to the ground, before its fiery gaze turned dark and it finally fell still.

" _Who else wants some_?!" Taylor demanded in a fierce roar, as another beast lowered it's head and snarled at him. It raced forward, rearing up in front of him, its jaws stretching open for a bite. Taylor narrowed his eyes, and bashed Candy into the creatures wide maw, drawing a sickening satisfaction from the bone and vine which exploded in all directions.

The creature yelped, falling backwards as the fire in its hollow eye sockets went out. "Yeah!" Taylor huffed, grinning as he raised Candy over his shoulder again. "That'll teach you not to mess with the great, wonder Tay- _Oof!"_ He gasped, as another creature hurtled across the clearing from behind him, slamming into his side and knocking him to the ground with a vicious snarl. It's powerful jaws snapped and slobbered just inches from his face, as he strained to push it away.

"Little help here?!" He cried, as Sean lowered a motionless bone creature to the ground, and turned towards him. 

"Hey, Twiggy!" He yelled, drawing the beasts attention. "Here comes the _pain train_!" He called, as the creature turned towards him too slow, the sports star grabbing it by the spine. It yelped in surprise, as Sean lifted it overhead, and slammed it against a tree. Dry bones shattered as Taylor watched in awe, and the creature fell to the ground in a twitching heap. _"Woo!_ Three points!" Sean cheered, as he offered Taylor a hand and pulled him easily to his feet. "You good?" He asked, his eyes sweeping over Taylor briefly in concern.

"Better _now,_ Captain America." Taylor huffed, winking as Sean chuckled and rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly. "Seriously though, dude... I'm suddnly much more appreciative of how gently you put me down earlier..." 

"Shut up, Taylor." Sean laughed, shoving him playfully toward the other side of the clearing as he tipped his head back to where Zahra and Raj were keeping the other creatures at bay. "We got the monsters covered, see if you can get to Diego!" He said, turning away to go help Zahra and Raj.

Taylor swallowed and nodded, gripping Candy tightly as he sprint over to where Diego laid unconscious. A single creature advanced on him, leafy hackles rising as Taylor narrowed his eyes and stepped between it and its prey. "Hey!" He growled, scowling as he hefted Candy over his shoulder. "Get your ugly ass the _hell_ away from my best friend!" He demanded lowly, as the creature growled threateningly. 

Vines snaked up from the creatures back, whipping past Taylor to wrap around Diego's leg. It began to back up, dragging Diego towards the trees. "Oh no, you _don't!"_ Taylor roared, dropping Candy and grabbing Diego's wrists, digging in his heels as he and the creature fought a grim rug of war over Diego's limp body.

"Hold still." Zahra said dryly, startling a surprised and undignified sound from Taylor which he would vehemently deny making later. She snickered as she stepped forward, her knife flashing silver as it sliced into the thick vines.

"Thanks!" Taylor huffed, recovering himself as he flashed her a begrudging grin. "Almost there..." He groaned, gritting his teeth as the creature began to tug against him more urgently.

Zahra ignored him, holding onto the last vine as she sliced Diego free. The creature growled, its head rising in surprise, as Zahra sciwled at it. _"Rrrrrrrrr!"_ She growled back, as the creature trying to pull away as Zahra's knife ripped into it repeatedly. Soon, there was nothing but a pile of shredded vines and bone, which Zahra stood over proudly.

"... Damn, Zahra." Taylor huffed, as he knelt on the floor and cradled Diego's head in his lap. "Again with those confusing feelings you're giving me!"

"Shut up, idiot." She snorted, rolling her eyes as she examined her pile of remains thoughtfully. "I guess I may still have some anger issues to work out." She hummed, her eyes widening as she stared at the remains.

Taylor looked down as the disembodied skull at his feet began to twitch, vines writhing toward the other parts of its body, trying to pull itself back together. He scowled as the creature began to emit a gut churning, crunching sound, setting Diego down carefully and getting to his feet, as he took up his modified bat. "Oh, _hell_ no." He growled, hefting Candy over his shoulder and swinging it forward as hard as he could. The blow connected with the snapping skull, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "Regenerate _that!"_ He huffed, snickering as he resettled Candy carefully upon his shoulder.

Nearby, Raj swung his flashlight at the last creature standing, hitting it square in the jaw as he glared at it hatefully. The creature went down, but despite that, Raj continued to wail on it viciously. "I'm sick..." Raj growled, slamming his flashlight into the creatures fractured skull. "Of these freaking..." He grunted, as another hit smashed through the creatures ribcage. _"Woods!"_ He cried, just as Taylor strolled over to him, peering down at the creature as it gave a final twitch before it fell limp. Raj put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "That's right... You _stay_ down." The large bly muttered, his eyes locked onto the broken creature in uncontained disgust.

The clearing turned still, and quiet around them; seeming as though, for now at least, nothing else wished to kill them. "We're... okay?" Taylor asked, his eyes widening as he took in the damage they'd inflicted together.

"Don't know if I'd go _that_ far..." Sean said, running a hand over his hair distractedly as he sighed. "I mean, we just got attacked by zombie plant skeletons."

Zahra gave  a pile of bones bt her feet a few more stomps for good measure, before looking up with a content sigh. "I'm good." She said flatly, a faint smirk curling her lips.

"I'm fine, dudes." Raj huffed, his eyes slipping past Taylor, as he tipped his head towards the prone body they'd rescued. "It's _him_ I'm worried about."

"Diego..." Taylor muttered, dropping Candy without a thought as he hurried back to his friends side. He dropped to his knees, gently brushing leaves and dirt from Diego's face. "He's breathing!" He called, his relief palpable, though he worried his lip and looked over his best friend nervously. "But... Shit, he looks terrible." He whispered, his eyes stinging with fearful tears. "Diego? Diego, buddy... _Assbutt!_ You gotta wake up, okay?!" He called, his gentle tone rising to a near hysteric cry as his panic slowly escaped his containment.

At the sound of Taylors increasingly worried voice, Diego's eyelids twitched, then began to slowly flutter open. _"Diego!"_ Taylor cried, his eyes welling with tears of relief as his friend looked up at him dazedly. "Oh my god, dude, you scared the shit outta me! I'm gonna kick your ass so bad for this later..." He sniffed, his hand clutching at Diego's tightly. "Diego... What happened to you? What the _hell_ are you doing out here, idiot? Did those things hurt you?" He babbled, the words tumbling from his mouth without thought or permission.

Diego's gaze remained distant, his eyes seeming to look past Taylor, as he opened his mouth and mumbled softly. "Things... skeletons." He said quietly, shaking his head weakly. "Chased me... couldn't escape..."

"It's okay now." Taylor sniffed, his fingers brushing Diego's jaw gently as he held him close, swallowing thickly as his friend struggled to explain. "It's okay. We took care of them... You're _safe_ now." He promised, sniffing in an attempt to hold back his emotions. "It's all gonna be okay... You can come and stay at mine for awhile, and we can have a Marvel fest, skip school and-"

Taylors nervous babbling came to an abrupt halt, as Diego grabbed the front of his top and pulled him closer. His hazel eyes, suddenly clear, bore straight into Taylors own deep blue gaze. "Why?" He demanded in a harsh whisper, his voice breaking in distress, as Taylor blinked his widened eyes at him. _"Why_ did you come, Taylor?"

 _"What?!"_ Taylor choked, jerking back from Diego as he shook his head in disbelief. "Dude, I had to! _We_ had to! I... We couldn't just _leave_ you out here!" He cried, his heart clenching at the broken gaze which his best friend beheld him with.

"You shouldn't have come." Diego whispered hoarsely, pulling at Taylors shirt to tug him closer again, his lips pressed almost to his ear as he continued in a terrified hiss. "Now... _he can leave_." He choked, as his hand fell from Taylors top.

Taylor fell back, scrambling away from his best friend as his panic consumed him. "No..." He gasped, his eyes glazing over, as he was transportd through tine in his memories; to an abandoned building in the middle of the woods, with a strange barrier at its entrance.

 _"Taylor?!"_ Raj cried, unnervd by his reaction, glancing at Diego as he stared blankly into the sky. "Dude, what is it? What did he say?"

Taylor shook his head, unable to speak as he watched Diego's eyes flutter closed again. With a final sigh, he fell still once more, and Taylor felt his heart fall still with him.


	5. What's Coming To You: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hokey Cokey - i have had to split this chapter in half because it is looking like its gonna be close to 20-25k and ya know what? Im liking the 10-15k chapters... plus; means i can sneak some more lovin and comments fron you guys ;p ♡
> 
> That said... i am not sure how the hell i feel about this. I definitely need ya input - cuz i am terrified it doesnt nake sense... but theres so much i wanna put in! This is why i felt ot nexessary to split it in half...
> 
> Anyway; i keep thinking there was something important i wanted to mention... but i xant think of it. So... cant be that inportant i guess XD
> 
> Thankyou all for reading - i love you all so much and i hope wherever you are; this hug and kiss (which im sending with this chapter) makes you feel happy and loved and appreciated - and generally just awesone.
> 
> x My love to you all x

**5.**

**What's Coming To You: Part One**.

Taylor stared down the school corridor vacantly, lost within his own head, his body functioning by recognition of habit alone. Zahra walked beside him, his friends having decided after his descent into shock that he should not be left alone if avoidable. If he'd had the thought process spare, Taylor would have found this endearing; his former friends coming together once again, to support and help one another.

"So begins yet another day, at the soul-sucking hellscape which is, Westchester High." Zahra muttered, scowling around the few other students as she guided Taylor toward their lockers. She hissed, upon noticing Estela leaning against the wall to the side of their lockers, watching them intently as they walked over slowly.

"Zahra the freak." She said thoughtfully but coldly, as Taylor blinked. He felt the vague stirring of unease beneath the blanket of his apathy, sensing he should prevent the encounter, but unable to make himself break through the heavy surface of his mental cocoon. "And the idiot."

"Please, stop." Zahra sighed heavily, ignoring Estela herself in favour of unlocking her locker. "Every time you use that extremely clever nickname, it just gets more hurtful."

"I'm merely stating fact." Estela said, shrugging her shoulder dismissively. Taylor felt the first very real prickles of emotion pierce his heart, anxiety about the current exchange flickering within his deep blue eyes, as he managed to twitch his gaze between Zahra and Estela. "I don't do humour, I leave that to Craig." 

"Wow, then you really are scraping the barrel." Zahra sniffed, shaking her head as Estela watched her intently. "And just when I _finally_ think I've got you figured out, you go and dazzle me with new depths of cunning."

Estela's brow furrowed, allowing Zahra a moment to herself to sort through her things, while Taylor merely watched them both worriedly, noticing that his heart had picked up its pace in nervous anticipation. "Okay, did you, like... actually _want_ something, or was this just meant to be another of your random mock and walks..?" Zahra demanded, turning to Estela with a glare.

"... I just wanted to check up on you." Estela finally replied, looking away down the hall, as students began to trickle into the school. "Heard you tried to visit Diego in the hospital." She said, her dark eyes slipping past Zahra to Taylor, as he flinched and made a distinct sound of distress.

"This is a true fact." Zahra drawled, rolling her eyes after checking on Taylor, who was desperately trying to fall back into his blanket of apathy; but finding it difficult, his awareness stirred by Estela's comment.

"Hmm." Estela hummed, her gaze fixed on Taylor as he fidgeted in discomfort. "Are you just obsessed with him, or genuinely concerned?"

"What the fuck kinda question is that, Ice Queen?" Taylor snarled, his mental barrier crumbling as his fury overwhelmed him. His shoulders hunched defensively as Estela's lips twitched, her dark eyes glittering knowingly. "Since when do you give a _shit_ about Diego, huh? Other than to torment him with Michelle and Craig? What the _hell_ makes you think you have _any_ right to even ask about hi-"

"Whoa, Taylor, _chill_ dude." Zahra said loudly, stepping between him and Estela, blocking her from his sight. "Okay, _not_ that it's any of your business..." She said, frowning as she glared at Estela fiercely. "Diego's our _friend._ We look out for our own." She said, cocking her head as she examined Estela's blank expression, the girls dark gaze still locked past Zahra and onto Taylor. "I guess you're not familiar with the concept, but friends _sometimes_ care what happens to each other."

"You're sarcasm's unnecessary." Estela sighed, barely glancing at Zahra before narrowing her eyes back at Taylor, as he squirmed and tried to protect his vulnerable nerves.

" _I_ disagree." Zahra replied glibly, winking at Estela with heavy exaggeration. Taylor felt his emotions jumble together, his heart racing at the exchange as his fear for Diego attempted to consume him again.

"I wonder," Estela said slowly, raising a brow as she sneeringly looked over Taylor. "If you're _such_ good friends and you were all _so_ concerned, then why exactly was he out in the woods; _alone?"_

"And what the _hell_ would you care anyway?" Taylor demanded irately before he could think, scowling as Zahra held him back from the scarred girl. "You and your bosom buddies have done _nothing_ but torment him for the past-"

"I've done nothing of the sort, and you'd do well to remember just who it is tends to forewarn you, when he's at the head of their play list for the day." Estela said, the first flare of anger flashing in her dark eyes. 

"Then why the _hell_ do you bother hanging around with them anyway?!" Taylor demanded, straining against Zahra's hand on his shoulder.

"I have my reasons." Estela said lightly, averting her eyes a moment as her hand balled into a fist. She swallowed heavily, seeming to fight with herself for a moment, however when her gaze returned to Taylors, it was with her familiar, emotionless eyes. "You want to know what I think?" She asked lowly, as Taylor bit his lip and felt himself drawn into her dark gaze.

"There is not enough _'no'_ in the world." Zahra sighed, scowling at Estela in irritation, while flashing a concerned glance at Taylor.

"I think Diego was lured out there for a reason." Estela said quietly, her eyes flashing with a knowledge which froze Taylors heart in his chest. "I believe someone used him as bait, trying to attract something they wanted even more..." She said, as Taylor swallowed thickly and took a step back. "Now, just what do you think that something... or some _one_ could be..?"

"Not very good bait," Zahra said stiffly, her posture tensing as Taylor began to come apart beside her, his nerves and fear palpable in the air around them. "He was _unconscious_ when we found him, doesn't seem like the best of lures... I think anyone trying to attract anything would need him coherent enough to, you know, _attract something."_

"You're being _deliberately_ dense." Estela said, frowning at Zahra before looking back at Taylor intently. "Just knowing where he was, would have been enough of a lure. You don't need your bait to be coherent, to send a text message."

Taylors blood turned to ice in his veins, and he stumbled back, leaning against his locker as he recalled the night Diego had text them all from the woods, and the vicious dirt monster which had tried to kill him shortly after. "What the _hell_ is _wrong_ with you?" Zahra demanded, directing a hateful snarl toward Estela. "Are you trying to give him a goddamn _heart attack_?!"

"No. I'm trying to make him _understand."_ Estela said shortly, finally turning back to Zahra with her brows furrowing. "But _clearly_ you're too dense to understand that, so I'll leave you to figure it out for yourselves."

"Wait." Taylor breathed, his hands clenching tightly as he tried to get a grip on the hysteria in his heart. He looked over at Estela, as she pushed off the wall, but waited for him to continue. "How..? How do you-"

"We _all_ have secrets." Estela said, cutting him off as she moved to brush past him, shrugging her shoulders lightly to show her disinterest. "For what it's worth, I hope he doesn't die... He's a good guy."

Taylor choked, his heart clamouring in his chest as he thought of losing his best friend permanently. "Like you would know about _anyone_ being anything but assholes." Zahra scoffed as she passed, turning back to her locker with a derisive snort. Taylor had no time to warn his friend as Estela spun suddenly, grabbing Zahra by the back of the neck and slamming her head into her locker. _"Ow!"_ She yelled, as Taylor gasped and hurried to try and pry the girls fingers from where they dug into Zahra's skin.

"I've been polite, and I've been helpful." Estela murmured lowly, her eyes narrowed as she leaned close to Zahra's ear. "It would serve you well to learn some basic fucking manners, and stop trying my patience; because I have little of it. Don't forget _loser,_ you're not the only one with a penchant for pretty hidden knives."

Taylors eyes widened as Estela suddenly released Zahra, meeting his eyes briefly as she stepped back. He shook himself from his temporary shock, looking at Zahra as she stepped back from her locker, noticeably dazed and clutching her forehead.

"Estela..." She muttered, and Taylor shivered as her eyes flashed with fury and hatred. "You are _so_ dead." She snarled, twisting in Taylors hold to scowl at the other girl fiercely.

"Oh? What are _you_ going to do?" Estela asked, seeming genuinely interested in Zahra's response. "Make _fun_ of me some more?"

Zahra clenched her fists and began moving toward Estela, only for Taylor to yank her backward into his arms, as Estela's already dark eyes seemed to dance with darkness. "Go on." She whispered, her voice almost excited as she gazed at Zahra intently. _"Try_ something."

"Y-you think I'm afraid of y-" Zahra vegan to growl, only for Estela to poke her in the chest; hard.

 _"Estela!"_ A voice called from down the hall, the click of hurried footsteps tearing them all from the ominous atmosphere which had formed around them. Estela backed away, scowling as her hands balled into fists, glaring down the hall at the approaching figure. "Estela... _What_ do you think you're doing?" Mrs. Montoya demanded, barely glancing at Taylor and Zahra before refocusing on her daughter.

Estela sneered, her eyes glittering with malice as she looked over at her mother briefly, before looking at Taylor. "Giving a friend some advice." She said finally, before turning away and beginning to move down the hall. 

 _"Estela!_ Young lady, I am not _done_ with you." Mrs. Montoya insisted, following after Estela and grabbing her wrist as she swept past her, dragging her down the hall with her. "I think we should continue this in my office."

"Why, so you can _lie_ to me without witnesses?" Estela snarled viciously, as Taylor and Zahra watched in stunned silence, the usually stoic girl showing more emotion in three minutes than she had in as many years. "Or just so you can hide me away? Your own _dirty little secr_ -?" Estela's harsh words ended abruptly, as Mrs. Montoya slammed her office door closed behind them.

Taylor swallowed heavily, as Zahra fumed beside him, clutching her head as her brow began to turn feverish. "Taylor, you might wanna let go of me." She snapped, glancing at him with a frown. _"Right now."_ She insisted, when Taylor hesitated. As he reluctantly released her, she stepped away and clapped both hands to her head. _"Shit..._ Hot, so fucking hot..." She muttered, gritting her teeth as she tried to contain her fury.

"Zahra..." Taylor called gently, hoping to soothe his obviously irate friend. "Zahra, it's okay, c'mon; let's ditch and try go see Diego aga-"

"It's too fucking _big,_ Taylor!" Zahra snapped, shaking her head as she growled under her breath. "I can't hold it!" She cried, her furious gaze settling onto the row of lockers. _"Aaaarrgggghh!"_ She roared, as her locker door slammed open as if thrown by some invisible force, hitting Taylor square in the face.

 _"Hey!"_ He yelped, his wyes widening as he quickly backed away, his hand rising to his stinging nose. "What the _hell?!"_ He gasped, drawing his hand back to see his fingers were smeared with blood, before looking up at Zahra with a scowl. "Did you just bust my nose..? _Zahra!_ How the _hell_ am I supposed to flirt with guys with a _busted nose_?!"

"Wow, well I am _super_ glad that your priorities are back in order." Zahra said, her eyes wide as she stared at her locker door. "But can we get back to your lacking love life _later?_ You know, some time after we deal with the fact I just _blew my goddamn locker door near off its hinges_?!" She demanded, panting for breath as she began to pace in agitation.

"Oh sure, make this all about _you."_ Taylor snorted, immediately regretting the action when his nose stung. "I mean, you having freaky ass abilities I can deal with; my nose looking like a damn watermelon while I'm trying to pick up guys, I _cannot!"_  

 _"Taylor!"_ Zahra fumed, scowling at him as he glared back at her accusingly. "What the _hell_ was that? I didn't even _touch_ my locker!" She said, staring down at her hands in disbelief.

"I hate you _so_ much right now." Taylor muttered petulantly, tentatively touching his nose. _Oh god, please don't let anybody see me like this_... He thought self consciously, trying hard to hide his nose from anyone who might pass by.

"Oh for gods sake, your damn nose is _fine!_ There's a tiny cut, even less bruising and no swelling. Its _barely_ even bleeding anymore." Zahra said scathingly, narrowing her eyes as she glanced at him. "You can just make up some badass lie about doing something cool... like the mind blowing shit, I do not know how I just did!"

"Honestly, Hot Topic, _kinda_ selfish right now..." Taylor sniffed, prodding gently at his nose again. "But fine, whatever. What did you feel when it happened..?"

"What kinda stupid ass question is that?" Zahra scoffed, clenching her hands into fists. "I was pissed the fuck off!"

"Well, yeah... I meant _besides_ that." Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes at her as he carefully stepped away from anything which might spontaneously move and potentially smack him in the face. "Like, was there anything _else_ besides your amazing fury?"

"Well... I mean..." Zahra muttered, staring at her hands a moment longer, before looking up at Taylor as her mouth curled into a wide smirk. "I felt _awesome..."_

"Great." Taylor said, rolling his eyes again. "Can we get on with this pain in the ass of a day, so we can get outta here and try see Diego again, please? If you're done being all, you know, _ahem..."_ Ge coughed. Gesturing towards Zahra vaguely. "Magic, and shit."

"Why are you not freaked out by this?" Zahra demanded, narrowing her eyes at Taylor as he turned and began walking down the hall, covering his nose by pretending to scratch it.

"Uh, probably because we fought off a buncha living skeletons last night to find our friend, unconscious in the woods..." Taylor huffed, glancing over at Zahra as she began power walking along side him. "Which you know, kinda lame 'cause it would have been totally badass to have you able to help us with it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Next time we're gonna go out late night monster hunting, I'll make sure I go get Estela to piss me off before hand." Zahra snarked, still grinning as she glanced at her hands repeatedly.

"Oh stop it, anyone would think you were happy." Taylor snorted, wincing again when his nose stung. "Its _embarrassing."_

"Right... Gotta get my image back on track." Zahra said, nodding as she rearranged her face into a scowl, though her eyes were amused when she glanced at Taylor sideways. "Think fast, dork!" She said, shoving him into the lockers with a small laugh.

 _"Oof!"_ Taylor huffed, hiding his amusement beneath a scowl. "You know what, you're just an ass. I dunno why I hang around with you." 

"'Cause I'm an awesome human being." Zahra said flippantly, as they rounded the corner and began to walk in separate directions. "And I _let_ you."

"You keep telling yourself that!" Taylor called, turning away to smile gently. He heard Zahra's faint laughter echo back to him, and he shook his head fondly. His amusement faded however as he found himself alone, facing an entire day of school before he could get back to the hospital to try and see his unresponsive best friend. "Man, it's gonna be a _long_ day..." He sighed, as he strolled into his first class of the day and tried to focus on anything but Diego, and how soon he might be able to get back to him.

It was in the afternoon, that the school held an emergency assembly to finally address the rumours about Diego. Taylor grimaced as he flumped himself into a seat, not even noticing who was beside him as he looked up at the stage to see Rebecca's mother, Mayor McKenzie; speaking from behind a lectern. _"And,"_ she said, looking around the room as she continued what Taylor assumed was a very long winded speech to a batch of newly legal voters. "I want to assure everyone, that the doctors and staff at Westchester General, are watching over Mr. Soto. But, just as important as _his_ well being, is all of _yours."_

Taylor snorted, shaking his head in disgust at what he was sure the Mayor felt was a touching speech. _Maybe if she happened to care about her own damn daughter half as much as this chance to earn more votes, I might give a damn about what she was spewing_. He thought, his hands curling into fists as he recalled Rebecca's confession from the previous evening.

"So, I want all of ya to know that whatever ya feeling right now, it is _normal_ and it is _okay."_ The Mayor continued, looking around the hall earnestly.

Taylor frowned at the woman, remembering how even Jake had expressed exasperation with his parents for their commentary on his life. _Funny how a person can be so understanding about anyone and anything but themselves and their own lives_... He thought, shaking his head slowly.

In a row somewhere behind him, Taylor heard Craig begin to snicker. "What if I feel bored and hungry?" He asked, as Taylors hands curled into fists, a sudden flare of irritation sweeping through him.

"Then it is normal and okay." Estela replied blandly, as Taylor bit the inside of his cheek and tried his best to ignore them. Despite his efforts however, all he could think of was his best friends broken murmurs the night before.

 _You shouldn't have come_... He shivered at the whispered memory of Diego's last words before returning to the realm of the unconscious, his blood turning cold as his heart thudded loudly. _Now **he** can leave!_ Taylor barely contained a gasp, shivering as he thought of his friend. _"Diego..."_ He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. When he opened them again, he noticed words carved into the arm of his chair. "...' _Diego was here_ '..?" He murmured, his brows rising in surprise.

Taylors eyes widened, as a memory shook itself loose. He blinked, thinking back to another assembly, about a year ago. He recalled Diego sat in his current seat, fiddling with his car keys as the two of them talked in hushed tones. "Diego, have you been thinking about it again..?" Taylor had asked worriedly, looking his friend over. "About what happened, back when we were kids?"

"What?" Diego had scoffed, noticeably avoiding Taylors eyes as his fiddling increased. _"No."_ He said, pausing a long moment, before glancing at Taylor guiltily. "I mean, I think about it _sometimes._ Not like, all the time or anything! But..." He trailed off, his fingers stilling as he frowned and finally looked at Taylor properly. "Why, have _you?"_

Taylor recalled how his friend had lifted a single key to the arm of his chair, its gold teeth digging into the red paint. _I guess that was the last time we really talked about... it._ He thought, biting his lip as he gently traced his fingers over the carved letters of his friends name. He tried to push the memory aside, but it pressed back against his efforts determinedly, and soon; Taylor closed his eyes and found himself tumbling through his own mind, lost to the memory's grasp.

Taylor looked around at the mostly empty seats in the hall, attending an optional assembly on community service, to find his best friend and avoid his last class of the day; the headache inducing math. "Urgh, thanksgiving break cannot come soon enough." He sighed, as he flopped into a seat beside Diego, his best friend snorting at him in amusement.

"Dude, you _hate_ thanksgiving." Diego said, glancing at him sideways with a small smirk. "Hell, you hate _most_ holidays. You're like one of the only people I know who prefers to come to school, than have time off."

"Shut up, assbutt, that is a cold and callous lie. I demand you take it back right now, else I won't invite you over and let you watch you're favourite god-awful show..." Taylor insisted, feigning a scowl as Diego flushed and jabbed an accusatory finger at him.

"Hey, Sunset Beach is a _classic_ drama!" He protested, his fierce whisper ringing with righteous indignation. "Just 'cause a total assbutt like _you_ can't appreciate-"

"I can appreciate _many_ things, _that_ show is _not_ one of them." Taylor huffed, smirking as Diego scowled and muttered to himself, flipping his keys around his finger. "But... I still let you watch it."

"Bitch." Diego pouted, determinedly refusing to meet Taylors amused gaze as he stared at the twirling keys in his hand.

"Jerk." Taylor quipped easily, finally drawing a huff of laughter from his friend. Diego reluctantly looked up at him, shaking his head fondly as they bumped their fists together.

"What're _you_ doing here anyway, oh tasteless one?" Diego asked, frowning suddenly in realisation. "You don't care about-"

"I am hurt and offended by your heartless assumption, dude." Taylor interrupted, pressing a hand over his heart as if truly upset by his friend. "... Also, I heard you were gonna be in here."

 _"Tch._ Creeper." Diego snorted, shaking his head as he faced forward again. "Let me guess, you had math." He said knowingly, his lips curving into a smirk.

 _"And,_ I had math." Taylor admitted, laughing when Diego rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, its not my fault, okay? The numbers just hate me! And the whole adding letters thing? Cruel and unusual punishment, dude."

"You're such an idiot." Diego huffed, laughing quietly as he turned towards Taylor with a fond grin. "But I will just have to bear the burden of your idiocy, and carry your lame ass through adulthood; when you fail to get a job, because you kept _skipping math."_

 _"Pfft,_ I have enough saved up that I probably won't need to get a job anyway." Taylor huffed, lowering his gaze as he chuckled quietly. "Hell, I probably won't need to buy a house either. I expect mom and dad will gimme theirs, in exchange for never having to hear from me again."

 _"Dude,"_ Diego began, his face falling at the rare reference to Taylors absentee parents. Taylor cleared his throat, looking away down the aisle, frustration flickering in his eyes at his unexpected slip.

"So, what about you?" He asked suddenly, diverting his friends sympathy before it could manifest. "Why are _you_ here?" He asked, as Diego grimaced at his weak attempt to distract him.

"Papa said I should come," he admitted, rolling his eyes as he jingled his keys again. "Said community service looks good on college applications."

Taylor frowned, looking over at Diego's uncomfortably stiff posture.  "Well, yeah... But so does being such a total know it all." He said, his brow furrowing deeper, as his friend began to play with his keys more insistently; clearly bothered by something, but not ready to bring it up. He drew in a deep breath, glancing around the hall briefly as he tried to sort through his emotions, before looking back at his friend with a gentle smile. "So... how are classes going anyway?"

"Good. Pretty good." Diego said quickly, biting his lip before looking over at Taylor guiltily. "I uh, I think I actually flunked a history test..."

Taylor snorted, shaking his head sat his friend as he grinned. "Dude, you would have to _deliberately_ answer everything wrong to flunk anything." He said, sobering slightly when Diego flushed and averted his gaze. "Wait, you're _serious?"_ He choked, as Diego nodded absently. "What the _hell,_ dude? How come? You didn't eat your text book this time..?"

Diego rolled his eyes, a tiny grin manifesting on his lips briefly at Taylors incredulous disbelief. "No, I did." He assured, though his amusement slowly faded to a tired frown. "I just... think I didn't get enough sleep last night? I haven't been sleeping great in general..." He admitted, and Taylors brow furrowed as his concern for his friend amplified, noticing the faint dark rings beneath Diego's eyes. "But, ha, you know... who _does,_ right?"

Taylor watched his best friend fidget a moment longer, before lowering his eyes and sighing. "Yeah... totally..." He said, looking back at Diego as he flipped his car keys in his hand again. He raised one to the arm of his chair and began to scratch at the paint. "Dude... Is everything, _okay..?"_ He asked gently, frowning as he tried to remember the last time his friend had actually stayed over.

"What, _pfft,_ yeah." Diego scoffed quickly, determinedly avoiding Taylors too perceptive gaze. "I'm good. _So_ good... Just, uh, kinda tired I guess. _Today."_ He babbled quickly, shrugging his shoulder dismissively. "And... _lately."_

Taylor hesitated, allowing Diego a moment to compose himself. "Well, good thing thanksgiving break is coming up then, huh?" He said, clearing his throat and looking around the near empty hall. "So how 'bout it? You, me, salt and vinegar chips... and that god-awful show of yours."

"Hey, dude, no dissing my show, okay?" Diego pouted, though he broke out in a relieved grin at the change in subject. He frowned at Taylor, suddenly seeming to realise something. "Wait, are your parents _still_ overseas?"

"Yeah, well my aunt left a huge mess when she died, and they're in charge of sorting out her estate among her family over there." Taylor replied, flapping a hand dismissively. "Well look, how 'bout a Supernatural binge then? I've got all the latest seasons..." He offered by way of distraction.

"Oh man, you're _killing_ me here, Taylor." Diego sighed, shaking his head longingly. "You have no idea how much I wanna, but... My family's taking me up to my uncle's cabin, out in the sticks."

"Oh... A cabin in the middle of nowhere, huh?" Taylor asked quietly, his heart sinking as a chill swept through his heart _. Sounds disturbingly familiar. But I guess anything is preferable to having their son hang out with the town troublemaker_... He thought, swallowing heavily as he glanced away briefly. "Dude, that sounds like awesome fun. I will be _so_ very envious of you; the whole time I sit on my ass watching hot guys take their shirts off..."

"You know, I _was_ actually really looking forward to this trip; so you're an ass for making me wanna bail now." Diego muttered, pouting at Taylor reproachfully as his friend sniggered quietly. "It's nice every now and then, getting away from people and just... be by myself."

Taylor stopped his sniggering, his brow creasing as he looked back at his friend. "What, like you can't be by yourself at mine?" He asked, trying to keep the faint note of panic from his voice. His stomach twisted uneasily, his heart lurching fearfully. _What if its not his parents? What if he just doesn't wanna come over..? What if... he blames me too?_ His thoughts clamoured over themselves, as Diego huffed and rolled his eyes, ignorant of his friends inner struggles. 

"Though I admit, it can get a little weird sometimes." Diego muttered, as Taylor raised a brow dubiously, silently asking for details. "Well, I mean... All those trees and shadows and that." Diego mumbled, unaware of the way Taylors heart sped up, clattering erratically against his ribs. "Sometimes they remind me of..." He trailed off with a cough, barely glancing at Taylor as he hissed quietly and flinched away. "... uh. You know. _Stuff."_

Taylor stared vacantly across the empty assembly hall, swallowing heavily as he tried to get a grip on himself. "Yeah." He finally agreed roughly, clearing his throat to keep from choking on his growing sense of hysteria. _"Stuff."_

Diego looked over, holding Taylors gaze for a moment, before his eyes flit away guiltily. _Why today? Why couldn't we have just had a normal conversation, like always_? He wondered, drawing in a deep breath as he looked down at the arm of the chair, where he realised Diego had been carving his name. _Because... It never really goes away. We just pretend we don't know what really happened, what I... caused. And of all of us, he never managed to bury it, the way the rest of us did_. He thought in realisation, his gut hollowing as he thought of how his must have been struggling, while also trying to hide it from him. "Diego, have you been thinking about it again..?" Taylor asked worriedly, looking his friend over in concern. "About what happened, back when we were kids?"

"What?" Diego scoffed, noticeably avoiding Taylors eyes as his fiddling increased. _"No."_ He said, pausing a long moment, before glancing at Taylor guiltily. "I mean, I think about it _sometimes._ Not like, all the time or anything! But..." He trailed off, his fingers stilling as he frowned and finally looked at Taylor properly. "Why, have _you?"_

 _"Me?"_ Taylor choked, his eyes widening as Diego met his gaze urgently. Taylor felt his heart race so fast, he thought it might well have stopped. He tried to swallow away the heavy words clogging his throat, but couldn't shift them as they surged free. "... _constantly."_ He finally rasped, before finally averting his gaze and drawing in a much needed deep breath. "How can I _not?"_ He babbled, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the roots as Diego stared at him in surprise. "It's a part of who I _am..._ or, a part that's _missing_ and-" he gasped, fighting to stop the words flowing from him like a river, barely able to restrain them. _And its not like none of us know it was only 'cause of me, that you all had to witness that. You'd have never been there, if I hadn't... If I-_

"I know the feeling... It's like someone chopped off your hand-" Diego began, swallowing as Taylor shook his head and tried to return his deepest fears to the dark corner of his mind which ne no longer ventured into. 

"Yeah, _exactly!"_ Taylor cried, turning to Diego with wide, imploring eyes. "And you think your used to it! But then still, five times a day, you look down and you're like ' _whoa, when the hell did that happen'_?" Taylor rambled, as Diego frowned and tried to follow him. "But I can't... I _can't-"_  

Diego looked down at his graffiti, his keys continuing to scratch deep marks into the painted wood, letters forming one at a time. "Do you remember..? The... the thing we made up in the woods?" Diego asked, his hands hesitating as he tried to find the words to continue. "... _Redfield?"_

The breath in Taylors throat caught, his heart lurching as he shook his head slowly, though he wasn't sure if he was actually answering his friend. "S-sort of..." He said evasively, trying not to let his friend sense the lingering darkness and shadows in his heart.

"Let me ask you something." Diego said, his words coming fast and fully formed, like a question he'd been holding in for a long time. "Do you... Do you remember, how we came up with that name?" He finally asked, as Taylor looked down at the carving of his friends name, blood rushing in his ears as he squirmed to avoid the memory which tried to surface in his mind. "'Cause, its really weird, and specific for a bunch of kids, right? Like... did we take it from a movie or something..?" He asked, looking up at Taylor with a glint of something in his eyes. Taylor couldn't decide what the glint was though. Hope, terror, or just desperation.

"Redfield's _name..."_ Taylor said slowly, trying his hardest not to remember the day he'd first walked into the abandoned house in the woods. _The day I broke us, the day I failed us, the day I... got our friend killed. I just didn't know it then. It was always... all my fault_. He thought, swallowing heavily as he stared absently through his best friend.

"Taylor..?" Diego prompted, snapping Taylor from his haunted memories and guilty thoughts, his brow creasing as he suddenly seemed to notice Taylors shift in attitude. "Hey, are you-"

"I think we made it up, dude." Taylor said quickly, glancing around the hall as he tried to play of his hesitation as an attempt to remember the awful memory which he'd never forgotten. "I uh, I think we just saw it written somewhere..." He muttered, admitting a half truth to cover his lapse.

Diego breathed a sigh of what Taylor hoped was relief, and not disappointment. An unusual silence hung heavily between them, something which they hadn't experienced since they'd lost their other friends years before. _God... how can I ever tell him._.? Taylor thought, hysteria gnawing at his gut as he worried his nail and glanced at his best friend. "Diego, you know if you ever wanna talk..." He said, reaching for Diego's hand, only for him to jerk it away as if burned, before laughing nervously.

"Dude, c'mon, I don't..." Diego stammered, his brow creasing as his hand balled into a fist. "I don't want you to think I'm some sort of... I'm _fine."_

Taylor lowered his eyes, trying to keep the heartache he felt from his face, as he recalled Diego's fierce reaction in his mind. "Okay." He said quietly, looking down at his lap as he toyed with his belt. "Sorry."

For a long pause, they said nothing and Taylor felt his panic eat into his confidence. _What if I lose him too now? If... he goes away, but comes back distant, like the others_..? He worried, telling himself that if Diego needed space he would give it and understand; but knowing in his heart it would devastate him.

Diego fidgeted, his discomfort obvious before he sighed suddenly, his hand reaching for Taylors and interlacing their fingers tightly. "I uh... You know, I think maybe this whole community service thing isn't for us." He said, smiling as Taylor blinked at him in surprise. "I think what we need, is chips and bad tv..." He said, wiggling his brow suggestively.

Taylor stared at Diego in disbelief, his throat constricting tightly from the relief he felt flooding through his heart. He couldn't fight the goofy grin which fought its way to his face, instead winking cockily as he gave a shaky laugh. "... So, you _admit_ its bad tv?" He asked, as Diego snorted and rolled his eyes, as he squeezed Taylors hand tightly. "C'mon, then assbutt... Lets get outta here. What flavour chips are we getting..?" 

"Salt and vinegar, baby." Diego said, grinning as he and Taylor collected their bags and quietly slunk out the back of the assembly hall; leaving behind nothing, but words scratched in the paint.

**'Diego was here.'**

Taylor blinked, sucking in a deep and shaky breath, as he came back to himself, his fingers unconsciously tracing the words his friend had left behind. _I shouldn't have lied... not to Diego_. He thought, biting back his grief as Mayor McKenzie wrapped up her speech.

"... and now, we'll turn things over to ya school president, Aleister Rourke, with a very important message on wildlife safety." She concluded, stepping back to wave Aleister up to the podium.

 _"Psst, Taylor..."_ Taylor started at the whispered call of his name, frowning as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly and glanced around. " _Over here_." He turned to spot Raj nearby, sat with Quinn, Zahra and Rebecca; the group all waving him over as Aleister finally took the stage.

"Greetings, Westchester High." Aleister drawled, and Taylor raised a brow, glancing at the pale boys hands to see them twitching at his sides. He huffed, remembering Aleister's confession from his fake interview, his heavy heart lightening briefly at the memory. "I intend to make this quick, so listen closely. The Sheriff's Office has received multiple reports, of bear sightings in town over the past few days. I have been informed to give you all advice on how to not get yourselves killed, should you come across one."

Taylor glanced at the words on th arm of his chair, patting then briefly as he grabbed his things and crept across the auditorium to join the others, trying not to laugh at Aleister's blatant irritation as he slumped into a seat beside his friends. "I don't know, guys... Maybe we ought to actually listen to this. It sounds kinda important." Quinn said, grimacing at the confession.

"Ah, c'mon Quinn..." Rebecca groaned, rolling her eyes as she nudged the redheads arm playfully. "We've heard this speech every year since first grade... Though I admit, Aleister's got an odd way of deliverin' his version. Less laughin', more insultin'. I _like_ it."

"Besides which," Raj said firmly, scowling at Rebecca for her interruption. "We have more important stuff to talk about, doodlejumps." He said, looking around them all meaningfully. "Like, what went down last night."

"Urgh... last night is a _blur,_ man." Taylor sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "I barely even remember getting home." He huffed, shaking his head as recalled the previous evening; from fun and flirty at the hardware store, to a frantic fight for Diego's life.

"What did you tell the cops, dude?" Raj asked, his eyes flashing with concern as Taylor shrugged and looked away disinterestedly.

"Just enough." He said vaguely, watching the other students as they either talked over Aleister or listened worriedly to his speech. "They wouldn't have believed the full story anyway." He scoffed, turning back to Raj with an impassive expression.

"I barely believe it dude, and I was there." The large boy sighed, putting his face in his hands tiredly. "I barely slept after I got home. And I had nightmares all night once I did." He admitted, as Taylor glanced away, reluctant to admit he'd slept more peacefully the previous evening than he had in years. "What happened out there was... frickin' _scary,_ doodlejumps!"

"Eh," Taylor huffed, shrugging his shoulders again as his lips curled into a small grin. "We handled it like pros, though." He said, holding out his hand to his friend.

After a pause of stunned silence, Raj snorted and slapped his hand to Taylors, rolling his eyes as he shook his head. "Yeah, maybe _you_ did, dude. I was scared out of my mind." He said, chuckling as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Could've fooled _me,_ man." Taylor said, winking at the large boy. Raj scoffed, but seemed to cheer up somewhat at Taylors comments.

"You're a bad liar, dude." He huffed, effectively wiping the smile from Taylors face as he quickly looked away to cover his guilty flinch. "Well, anyway... We filled these guys in on what happened."

"I still can't believe those plant skeleton things." Zahra said, shaking her head as Taylor flashed her an irritated scowl.

"Oh sure, that's what you can't believe." He scoffed, sniffing as Zahra smirked knowingly at him. _"Pfft,_ you probably just want one as a pet."

"They sound pretty awful..." Quinn said, shivering as she glanced over at Taylor with obvious regret for nor being able to go with them. She opened her mouth to speak further, when Zahra's loud snort cut her off.

"What? No, they were _awesome!"_ She declared, as Taylor winked at Quinn and mouthed an 'I told you so,' to the now giggling redhead. "I mean, aside from trying to rip our faces off."

"So, what about Aleister?" Taylor asked, rolling his eyes as he ignored Zahra's fascination with the creatures which they'd fought the night before.

"Sean text him." Raj said, shrugging a shoulder vaguely as he looked down at the pale boy on the stage, a complex expression forming on his face.

"I still can't believe you guys were actually _right."_ Rebecca sighed, shaking her head as she stared at her lap thoughtfully.

"Hold on, we need to get that on tape." Zahra snorted, missing the way Rebecca flinched at her unintentional jibe.

"I also can't believe _you_ were _flirtin'_ with my _brother!"_ Rebecca sneered, as Taylor felt his eye widen, gesturing to himself questioningly. "Yes, _you!_ Ya... _hussy!"_

Taylor burst out laughing, finally distracted from his own turbulent feelings by the shock which flooded him. "Oh come on, have you _seen_ the guy?!" Taylor protested, giving up his feigned innocence. "Seriously, it would've been an insult if I _hadn't_ offered myself up gift wrapped." He said, as Rebecca wrinkled her nose in mock disgust.

 _"Gross,_ Taylor... That is _so not_ the image I need in my head when I think of my brother..." She complained, shaking her head as if she might be able to dislodge whatever thoughts had taken over her mind. Taylor huffed, smirking as he looked over at her.

"To be fair... There was no gift wrap involved." He stage whispered, laughing when Rebecca scowled over at him. "What can I say? I suck at wrapping. Though, I can manage the odd _bow..."_ He said, winking as the fiery redhead narrowed her eyes and made to swat his shoulder, though he hastily dodged her aim. "Oh, _hell_ no! You're hands are freaky strong." He laughed, snickering as she finally gave up and rolled her eyes.

"I hate ya _so_ much, right now." She sniffed, as Taylor snickered and settled back into his chair properly.

"No, you don't." He said knowingly, as Rebecca sighed in frustration, scowling over at him reproachfully.

"No... I don't." She huffed in irritation, tugging at the end of her ponytail distractedly. Taylor winked and stuck his tongue out, wiggling his brows suggestively as she finally gave in and laughed, shaking her head at his determination.

"So..." Quinn said, smiling even as she covered her mouth to hide a great yawn. "What happens now?" She asked, her expression clouding as she looked around them meaningfully, sobering their amusement.

"What d'ya mean..?" Rebecca asked, her brow furrowing as she looked around nervously, making sure nobody was listening to them. "I mean, ya found Diego, so... everythin's over now." She said determinedly, biting her lip when she noticed Taylor pointedly avoiding her eyes. "Right?" She asked, almost desperately.

Silence reigned over them for a moment, before Quinn cleared her throat quietly. "I _doubt_ it." She said, quietly but determinedly, stifling another yawn.

"Those monster things..." Taylor muttered, picking at a scratch on his wrist distractedly. "I think they worked for Mr. Red. Like... _puppets."_ He reluctantly admitted, glancing around them quickly before looking back at his wrist.

"What?" Rebecca snorted, frowning in disbelief. "He couldn't kill Diego on his own? He had to send _pets_ to do it?" She scoffed derisively, as Taylor grimaced and finally met her gaze.

"I don't..." He began, coughing and clearing his throat when the words stuck in his throat. "I don't think they were trying to kill Diego. At least, not _mainly."_ He confessed, wincing at the curious looks he received in return.

"How do you figure _that,_ dude?" Raj asked, frowning but not outright dismissing the idea. Taylor sighed, shifting in his seat as he tried to find the words to explain himself.

"Well, think about it..." He began, spreading his palms as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "Diego was... totally helpless out there. They could've killed him easily, long before we finally went looking for him." He said, shaking his head as he sighed. "But, it was more like they wanted to... _take_ him somewhere." 

"But ya stopped 'em." Rebecca pointed out, as if this settled the matter. She looked around at the others, who all averted their eyes in response.

"Which means," Taylor finally sighed, reluctantly looking up to meet her clear grey eyes. "They'll be back. Whatever Mr. Red wants..." He said, swallowing heavily as fear, concern and anxiety all clamoured in his throat. "I think he's just getting warmed up." He said, think back to his conversation with Diego. "Hey, look, I was wondering... um, can I ask you guys something..?" He began hesitantly, his eyes darting around the group as they nodded slowly. "When was the last time each of you talked to Diego?"

"Oh damn..." Zahra huffed, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, though her eyes widened, as some thought passed through her mind.

"I..." Quinn began, biting her lip as she carefully searched through her memories. "I don't know." She finally admitted, looking up at Taylor with a guilty expression.

"A couple years, maybe?" Raj asked more than told, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I can't say for sure dude, I might've spoken to him while I was outta it for all I know, and just not remember."

"Last day of school." Rebecca said quietly, her gaze lingering on her lap. "Just before summer vacation." She added, her eyes slowly rising to meet Taylors, as he turned to look at her.

"Did he seem... _distracted?"_ He asked, swallowing as he tried to push away the rising guilt that he'd failed his friend twice over. "Did he bring up what happened, when we were kids?" He pressed, drawing in a deep breath before forcing himself to continue. "Did he... did he ask you about Mr. Red?"

"I... I don't remember." Rebecca said, shaking her bead as she tried to recall the exchange. Taylor sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes. "I think mostly we just, talked 'bout our plans for the summer. But..." She said suddenly, as Taylor peeled his eyes open and looked over at her knowingly. "Now that ya mention it, he did seem kinda... _evasive?"_

"Taylor, why are you bringing this up?" Raj asked, his eyes wide as he stared down at Taylor worriedly, as if afraid there were some ulterior motive for Taylor to be asking.

"I was just..." He replied, swallowing as he turned and looked back at the chair he'd previously been sitting in. "Thinking about a conversation he and I had... I was wondering if I was just, too blind to see just how stuck he was on it, on what happened when we were kids. He was still trying to make sense of it..." He said, shaking his head as he tried to fight back the stinging in his eyes, his hand curling into a tight fist. "I think I missed something important, being too focused on myself... And, I think maybe..."

"... Maybe, he went back to the woods _by choice."_ Raj finished for him, as Taylor choked and failed to complete voicing his guilty thoughts.

"Oh, Taylor... It's not your fault." Quinn said, reaching out to take his hand, despite having to lean over Rebecca to do it. "Whatever happened, you mustn't blame yourself..."

"Well," Zahra sniffed, her heavy boot stomping to the floor determinedly, making Taylor jump and gently pull his hand free of Quinn's. "There's only one way we'll find out for sure."

"What?" Rebecca asked, frowning at Zahra as she rolled her eyes at her density.

Taylor sighed, reluctantly sitting straighter as he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "We go to the hospital, and ask him." He said, just as the three o'clock belk rang, and Aleister finished his speech.

"So remember," the pale boy sneered, scowling around the hall in obvious irritation. "Do _not_ try to befriend wild bears." He said, signalling the end of the assembly. 

Taylor promptly filed out with his friends, lingering by the lockers as students grabbed their things and headed home. "Hey," Zahra called, dumping her things in her locker before swinging her bag to her shoulder. "You walking?"

"Well, I don't have a car, so, yeah." He huffed, sniggering as she narrowed her eyes at him, before rapidly raising his hands up over his nose. "Wait, don't hit me again!"

"You're such a dork." Zahra sighed, shaking her head as Taylor lowered his hands and winked at her. "C'mon, I am also walking. We should do so in the same direction, at a similar pace."

Taylor blinked at Zahra, who's cheeks flushed faintly with the first hints of a blush.  "Dude, is this your weird way of saying you wanna walk with me?" He snorted, ducking his head to avoid her not so playful swat.

"Hey, do you mind if I tag along?" Quinn asked, smiling at them as she clutched some books to her chest. "I have to return these library books, and with there being a bear about and all..."

"Depends." Zahra said, raising a critical eyebrow at Quinn. "Can I run faster than you?" She asked, as Taylor snorted with laughter.

 _"Heehee..."_ Quinn giggled, flashing Zahra an innocent wink. "Oh, probably... unless, I'm just saying that to gain the advantage."

Taylor smiled, looking between his friends as warmth blossomed in his heart. _How could I ever have let this go.._? He wondered, shaking his head slowly as Quinn and Zahra bantered easily.

"... I think I need to reassess your threat level." Zahra said, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully as Quinn giggled innocently.

Taylor caught movement from the corner of his eye, and saw Sean nearby heading to basketball practice, accompanied by his teammate Tom. "Hey, go on ahead. I'll catch up." Sean said, as he paused by Taylor and the others in the hall.

"Sure thing." Tom replied, shooting finger guns at Sean as he continued down the hall. Sean glanced around, before quickly pulling Taylor aside.

"Last night, was _insane."_ He said quickly, as Taylor blinked at him, leaning back against the lockers as Sean braced himself over him. "I'm sorry I took off before the cops showed up, man. I didn't wanna risk..." He paused, his expression crumpling with guilt. "You know my momma worries enough as it is-"

"Sean, it's _okay!"_ Taylor blurted quickly, as Sean paused for breath, his brows rising in surprise. "I'm just... I'm glad you were there."

"Yeah." Sean said, nodding as a warm smile broke out across his face. "Of course." He said, glancing down the hall after Tom.

 _"Pfft,_ says he who wasn't gonna come." Taylor snorted, playfully shoving at Sean's other arm, and failing to move him at all. "Honestly though, I get it, dude. Your moms been through a lot the past couple years, you _both_ have... It's okay."

"Thanks, Taylor. Means a lot." Sean said, his relief clear as his shoulders relaxed slightly. "Well, listen, I gave to get to practice, but... talk later?" He asked, backing away from Taylor slowly.

"Yeah." Taylor confirmed, smirking as he saluted him roughly. "Talk later, Captain America." He said, watching Sean laugh quietly and jog down the hall to catch up to his teammate. He shook his head fondly, turning back to the rest of his group just as Mayor McKenzie approached them.

"Hey, mom." Rebecca said stiffly, though her smile grew noticeably more relaxed, as Taylor stepped up beside her and gently slipped his hand into hers.

"Hello Rebecca. Everyone." Mayor McKenzie said, glancing around them briefly. "How're you kids holding up?" She asked, smiling invitingly.

"We're _fine,_ mom." Rebecca answered, as Taylor cleared his throat quietly.

"Uh, actually..." He said awkwardly, as Rebecca turned and raised a brow at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly." The Mayor replied, beaming at the potential interest in her campaign.

"You mentioned Diego still being in the hospital..." Taylor hedged, as the Mayors face fell.  "I was just wondering if we could see him yet? I mean, we tried this morning..." He said, trailing off as his throat constricted too tightly for him to continue.

"We need to talk to him about..." Rebecca chimed in, squeezing his hand as she faced her mother. "Uh... school stuff."

"I'm afraid the hospital's not allowing visitors yet." Mayor McKenzie said stiffly, frowning at Taylor dubiously. "I think they'd prefer to wait 'til Diego wakes up first."

"Wait, back up a second." Raj cried, his eyes wide as he stared at the Mayor in disbelief. "Diego _still_ isn't awake? Are you saying he's like, in a _coma?"_

"I'm sorry." The Mayor said formally, shutting the discussion down tactfully. "It's just too soon to tell. But, as soon as there's any news, I'll make sure ya all aware." She said, glancing around them all with a faintly reminiscent smile. "Ya know, despite the circumstances, I'm glad to see ya all hangin' out again. Ya good kids."

"I reject that combination of words." Zahra drawled scathingly, glaring at the Mayor reproachfully.

"Well, I'd certainly prefer you to some of Rebecca's _other_ friends..." The Mayor sniffed, ignoring her daughters sudden tensing of the shoulders.

"Mom, come on..." Rebecca muttered pleadingly, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"Speak of the devil, dudes..." Raj said lowly, flicking his gaze down the hall. Taylor followed his gaze, and spotted Michelle making a beeline in their direction. "And _that_ would be my cue, doodlejumps..." He said, scowling as he shook his head and quickly moved away in the opposite direction.

"Likewise." Rebecca muttered, as Taylor have her hand a final squeeze, before stepping between her and the approaching blonde. "Mom, let's _go."_ She said insistently, shooing her mother away as Michelle drew closer.

"Hi, Quinn." Michelle said, surprising them all as she bit her lip and looked at the redhead with a guilty, regretful gaze.

"Uh... _hi?"_ Quinn replied, glancing at Taylor and Zahra in wide eyed surprise and confusion. She looked balc at the blonde, leaning against Taylors side as she stifled another small yawn behind her hand.

"Listen," Michelle sighed, running her perfectly manicured hand through her long blonde hair. "Can we... _talk?"_ She asked, while Taylor and Zahra traded skeptical glances. Quinn glanced at Taylor, pushing away from his side gently as Michelle led her toward the doors, as Taylor and Zahra followed closely behind.

"... Anyway," Michelle huffed, clearing her throat awkwardly as she noticed their audience. "I just wanted to say... I'm sorry." She finally said, ignoring Taylor and Zahra's dubiously raised brows.

" _Excuse me_?" Quinn choked, clutching her books tighter against her chest, as if to protect her heart from the blondes words.

Michelle sighed, rubbing her forehead, as if grappling with a headache. "I just, with Diego and everything..." The blonde sighed, wrapping her arms around her chest self consciously. "I was thinking about it, and I realised... I've been, _kind of_ a bitch to you lately."

 _"Pfft, kind of?!"_ Taylor scoffed, unable to contain his incredulous disbelief. "You _tormented_ her! Christ, if this is you not even trying, I _dread_ to think what you'd do if you really hated someone..!" He said scathingly, scowling at the blonde in irritation.

Michelle glared at him, before pointedly ignoring his interruption, clearing her throat again as she turned her gaze towards Quinn. "... And, I'm sorry."

"Uh, it's fine, Michelle." Quinn said, blushing as she looked down at her feet briefly. "Th-thank you anyway, though." She added, glancing back at Taylor and Zahra.

"Great! _So,"_ Michelle said, immediately perking as Quinn turned back to her in surprise. "I have a question..." She said, her face lighting up suddenly, eyes bright and her grin full of perfect teeth. Quinn frowned, taking a step back, until she froze on surprise. "Would you want to get coffee sometime?"

"I... _What?"_ Quinn choked, as taylor and Zahra stared at the blonde incredulously. They exchanged a brief glance, the idea of possession easily passing between them without words, both frowning as they turned back to the exchange. "You mean like a bunch of us, or..?"

 _"Actually,"_ Michelle said slowly, her cheeks tingeing with pink as she threw a brief scowl at Taylor and Zahra, before looking back at Quinn hopefully. "I was thinking maybe, just you and me..?"

"You and m..." Quinn choked, blinking rapidly in her surprise. "Oh, _wow!"_ She gasped, swallowing quickly as she lowered her gaze to the floor and tried to recompose herself. "Michelle... I really appreciate your apology, and if you'd asked me this time yesterday, my answer would have been an emphatic yes..." She said, her crystalline eyes slowly hardening. "But that was before I knew what you were doing to my _friend._ Before you and your lackeys pinned me last night... Before you told me that I would never be anything, but _the dying girl_ to yo-" Quinn fell silent abruptly, a choked gasp escaping her as she swayed on the spot, her breath catching as tears spotted her cheeks.

"Quinn, I said I'm sorry!" Michelle protested, her eyes wide as Quinn refused her. "I... I didn't know how to cope, okay?! When you were diagnosed with that thing, I went and studied up on it. I wanted to do everything I could to help! But there's _nothing!"_ She cried, her caramel eyes damp with frustration. "I just... I didn't know how I was supposed to deal with that; to deal with losing _you!_ It was just, so much easier to push you away..."

Quinn didn't respond, and Taylor frowned as she continued to sway, stepping forward and reaching for her hesitantly. "Quinn..?" He called gently, gasping when the redhead crumpled into his arms. _"Quinn!"_ He cried, sinking to the floor as he held her carefully in his arms.

"Oh my _god!"_ Michelle gasped, hurrying forward and falling to her knees beside them. _"Quinn!_ For gods sake, don't hold her like that! Put her in the recovery position!" She demanded, reaching for Quinn only for Taylor to slap her hand away.

"You've done _enough!"_ He snarled, as Zahra hurried over. "You wanna help, get her a damn ambulance! Might as well get one good thing outta your damn phone..." He growled, as Michelle blinked at him in shock. However, despite expecting an argument, Taylor was pleasantly surprised when the blonde hurried to her feet and quickly phoned for an ambulance. He looked down at Quinn, gently moving her into the recovery position, and stroking a swath of red hair from her clammy cheek. "Come on, Quinn..." He murmured, his throat thick with grief as he tried to push away the thoughts of Quinn's failing health; telling himself it was just shock, and she would be fine. He glanced up ay Zahra, who was watching them nervously, her foot tapping in agitation."Let the others know..." He said quietly, giving her something to focus on. 

Zahra nodded and stepped away, drawing out her phone and rapidly texting their recently re-acquainted friends. Taylor swallowed, looking back down at Quinn with the desperate plea in his heart; _please don't let this be it, please let her be okay._

Taylor counted in his head, as the minutes ticked by. Zahra and Michelle worked well together to keep back the forming crowd around them, making sure Quinn had enough space and air, as Taylor remained beside her and fervently wished for her to wake up. "Must be some sorta full moon, mystic shit going on." Zahra said, glaring at anyone who dared try and push their way closer, as the ambulance and medical staff showed up. "Michelle being _nice_ to her, must have pushed her over the edge." She said, scowling at the blonde, as she kept others back with fierce threats across the other side of the space they'd kept clear around Quinn.

"Shut up..." Taylor muttered absently, exchanging an uncertain glance with her, as the medics approached. He jerked his chin at them in acknowledgment, before lowering his gaze to Quinn. "Her name is Quinn Kelly, she just... collapsed. She, uh... she has Rotterdam's Syndrome." He said thickly, noticing the medics trade worried glances as they gently lifted Quinn onto a stretcher.

"You've done the right thing to help her." One of them assured, a blonde woman with a severe expression. "We'll get her seen as soon as possible, and she'll be in the best place for her."

"Can we come with-" Taylor began, only for the medic to already begin shaking her head, the other closing the doors to the ambulance; sealing Quinn away from them.

"I'm sorry, family only." She said, before hurrying around to the passenger side of the ambulance and hopping in quickly, barely closing the door before the vehicle sped out of the school grounds.

"They're right..." Michelle said quietly, watching them go with an intense gaze. "It's the best place for her now-"

"What the hell do you know, huh?" Taylor spat, rounding on her furiously. "Who the hell _are_ you, to be screaming at her last night and asking her for bloody coffee today?! I mean what?" He fumed, his fear twisting in his gut, spiralling into a hateful rage which he couldn't help but direct at the petite blonde. "Are you _happy_ now?! You might finally be free of her trying to reach out to you and make you remember you had a heart onc-"

 _"Taylor!"_ Zahra yelled, scowling as she stepped between him and Michelle and lightly shoved him away. "Get a goddamn grip, you're not helping!" She growled, glancing at Michelle's downcast, guilty expression. "Whatever the fuck just happened, we got a long ass walk ahead of us, if we're gonna get to the hospital before visiting hours are over." She said pointedly, jerking her head toward the school gates.

Taylor sighed, trying to get a grip on his panic and force it back down his throat. He exhaled shakily, nodding to Zahra as words failed him and quickly grabbing his things, before hurrying after her towards the gate.

"What do you think _that_ was..?" Zahra demanded in a fierce whisper, as soon as they were away from the crowds, and especially Michelle. "Guilt, a trap, or-"

"I don't _know."_ Taylor grit out, his heart racing as they jogged into town and past the hardware store, turning to cross the next road, only to have a familiar car pull up before them.

"Well my day just improved, ain't every day I get to see such a-" the cocky greeting fell short, as the window rolled down to reveal Taylors increasingly distressed expression to the driver, causing Jake's brow to furrow in concern. "What is it, Boy Scout? Ya look like someone just di-"

"A friend of ours..." Zahra said, glancing at Taylor as he flinched and withdrew into himself. "She collapsed at school, we were trying to get to the hospital to see her." She said, pointedly eyeing his car before glancing over again to note Taylors rapidly unravelling mental state.

"Get in." Jake said, patting his hand against the side of the car, as he glanced between the pair quickly. Taylor frowned, as Zahra opened the back door and slid into the seat without further prompting, leaving him stood at the side of the road on confusion. _"Taylor."_ Jake said firmly, drawing Taylors gaze to his own, as he tipped his head to the open door. "Get in. I'll take ya to ya friend." He said, gently but firmly.

Zahra however, decided she had waited long enough, leaning azide and grabbing Taylors wrist. "Get _in,_ idiot." She demanded, scowling as she yanked him to the seat with her and quickly shut the door behind him.

Taylor sat in confused silence, still unable to process Jake's appearance and aid, even as he revved his engine and took off toward the hospital on the far side of town. Zahra talked to Jake as he drove, filling him in on what had happened, as Taylor tried to find his way free of his tortured thoughts. "So, it's 'lil Red? The quiet one, with the illness?" He clarified, glancing between Taylor and Zahra in his rearview mirror, as Zahra nodded and Taylor turned to look out the side window. _"Damn..."_ He murmured, his foot pressing the accelerator more determinedly and carrying them towards the hospital faster.

Taylor watched the scenery pass by vacantly, thinking of Quinn and desperately wishing he hadn't wasted so much of the previous years. Please let her be okay, please don't let her- his thoughts cut off abruptly as Jake swung his car through the car park and slid into a space with a practiced ease, before quickly jumping out to open the door for Zahra and Taylor. "I didn't phone her parents..." Taylor mumbled, frowning as Jake and Zahra encouraged him to get out.

"'S all right, Boy Scout." Jake said, gesturing towards the hospital. When Taylor showed no sign of actually moving, Jake huffed and lightly slipped his hand into Taylors, gently tugging him towards the ominous building. "Hospital staff would've phoned her folks, soon as she came in. Chances are they're on their way or already here."

Taylor frowned down at his hand, vaguely thinking that Jake's rough, large hand around his own should elicit more of a giddy reaction from him, but too lost in his concerns to actually enjoy the sensation past the faintest warming of his palms. He squirmed awkwardly as they paused at the help desk, before Jake began to pull him carefully through the halls, weaving through other patients, visitors and medical staff as he searched for the room he'd been told Quinn was in.

"Here ya go..." Jake said at last, the pilot drawing Taylor to a halt beside a room near the back of the hospital. "Room fourteen-oh-eight, that's where they said she was, right Skrillex?"

Zahra narrowed her eyes, glancing between Jake and Taylor suspiciously as she nodded, pausing to cock her head as she peered inside. "Yeah, but damn these guys must work fast... Taylor look, she's awake!" She said, finally breaking through the haze of fear and apathy as he stepped up to Quinn's room, and peeled through her door window.

"... What the..?" Taylor choked, his eyes widening as he beheld the numerous staff around the redheads bed, and Quinn herself looking around in bafflement.

"Hey, easy there..." Jake chuckled quietly, holding him back from barging into the room by gently squeezing his hand. Taylor blinked, looking down at their linked hands in surprise, feeling a blush begin creeping up his throat. "Just let the doc's do their thing." Jake said, glancing at the colour rising over Taylors skin with a smirk, as his blush worked its way to his cheeks. "I'm sure they'll let ya in, just as soon as-"

"Please do not loiter in doors, young man." An exasperated voice huffed, before jostling Taylor out of the way. Jake steadied him, bracing his elbow carefully as Taylor forward, before turning with a scowl.

"Hey, I thought doctors were supposed to be _friendly,_ not _assholes."_ He groused, as a man stomped out of the room, glancing back with an irritated frown.

"Maybe when our time isn't wasted, we might be a little friendlier." The man snapped, scowling as he continued to sweep down the hall. "Now if you don't mind, I've got _real_ patients to help." 

Taylor blinked after the man, frowning as he and Zahra exchanged uncertain glances. As more doctors began to exit, Taylor moved aside, the hand linked with Jake's falling behind his back as he stepped closer and watced the doctors leaving. "Excuse me," he finally asked what he thought was the final one. "But can we see her? Is she alright?" He aksed urgently, as Jake squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Of course you can." They replied, glancing back at Quinn with a small frown. "There's nothing else we can do, she'll be discharged shortly." They said, before moving away again.

Taylors heart clenched, a sound of distress escaping his throat. "How can you all be so _callous?!"_ He demanded, scowling after the doctor on irritation, as they barely paused and glanced back at him. "Don't you _care at all_ that she's-"

 _"Taylor,_ is that you?" Quinn's voice floated through the door, her tearful tone unmistakable as Taylor turned away from the doctor in disgust. 

"Hey, don't go giving this idiot all the glory." Zahra scoffed, stepping into the room with a smirk plastered to her face. "I did awesome stuff and came to see you too." 

"Oh my _god..._ I'm so happy to see you guys," Quinn choked, her eyes watering as she smiled at them brightly. Taylor frowned, following behind Zahra and never even noticing Jake's hand slipping free of his own. 

"When did you wake up, beautiful?" Taylor asked, stepping up beside her bed and brushing his knuckles over her cheek gently. "You really scared the shit outta us, you know that, right?"

"I'm sorry..." Quinn whispered, leaning her cheek into his touch as she smiled radiantly. "But, I think I got the bigger shock, waking up in here with all these doctors and nurses around me..." She said gently, beaming up at him as Zahra raised a brow at her jubilant mood.

"What, they give you some gas and air, or something?" She snorted, clicking her tongue appreciatively. "Damn, I missed my chance to steal some then... You seriously look higher than a kite right now."

"No... they didn't give me anything." Quinn hummed, smiling over at Zahra giddily. "They're calling my parents now, let them know I can go home whenever I want."

"Shouldn't they check you out some more?" Taylor asked, frowning as he swept her hair from her brow. "I mean, what's the rush? Normally they keep you in at least twenty four hours, rig-"

"They can't. There's nothing for them to do, and no reason to keep me." Quinn giggled, her smile growing as Taylor's brows furrowed deeper. "It's _gone,_ Taylor. It's just... _gone."_ She said, laughing when he and Zahra traded uncertain glances. "My Rotterdam's... It's _gone,_ guys!"

Taylor blinked, his mouth opening and closing as her words filtered through his head. _Gone... gone. **Gone**_ **...** He thought nlankly, before a great gush of air escaped him and he reached for her shoulders in disbelief. _"Gone?"_ He repeated his thoughts, as Quinn giggled and beamed excitedly.

"Like, as if I never had it; they literally can't find a trace of it. They've taken a few blood samples to double check but, there's literally nothing else they can think of to do with me. So, they're letting me go..." She said quickly, as Taylor swamped her in a tight hug. "Hey, wait a minute... How did you guys get here so quick? I've only been awake a half hour, and its an hours walk from school to the hos-"

"Oh my _god!"_ Taylor choked, his eyes widening in horror as he turned back to the door, only to find the room and hallway empty. "Oh no... _Ohhh..._ I feel _sick..."_ He gasped, pulling away from Quinn to touch his nose briefly, before burying his face in his hands. " _Oh my god_!"

"Uh... why's Taylor broken right now..?" Quinn asked, watching him worriedly as she rose from the bed and looked over at Zahra curiously, uncertain if she should reach for Taylor or not.

"Oh, he's just realising he acted like a complete and utter tool in front of the guy he's crushing on hard, and with a busted nose at that." Zahra said teasingly, smirking as Taylor peeked over his fingers at her, his face a deep shade of pink as he pulled his hand free and stared at it in disbelief. "Ooh, _look;_ you can see it in his head, the realisation that the guy held his hand too... Not that Taylor even noticed when he left."

"He _what?!"_ Taylor yelped, spinning to stare out the doorway in horror. "Oh god, I can never see him again. I have to leave town... I have to change my name, I need to change my _face-"_

"Or you could just go say thanks _now,_ and save yourself the trouble." Zahra snorted, as Taylor blinked and looked over at her. "He left like five minutes ago. If you run, you should catch up to him-"

Taylor was moving before she finished, darting out the door and racing away through the halls barely catching sight of the exit signs to direct him. He burst through the main entrance just as Jake jogged across the road ahead of an approaching car, and he blindly raced after him in his urgency. _"Jake!"_ He cried, drawing the Navy pilot to pause and turn back in surprise, his eyes wide when he saw Taylor dart forward onto the road before the car.

"What the-" he choked, reaching back and yanking Taylor out of the cars path, his arm locking around his waist as he swept him around his body and away from the road. "Bloody hell, what the _hell_ were ya thinkin-"

 _"Thankyou!"_ Taylor blurted, throwing his face over Jake's shoulder as he held him tightly, his body trembling as he panted for breath. "I'm sorry, I just... I spaced out, and I forgot; hell, I didn't even realise, and I-"

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa..."_ Jake said soothingly, rubbing Taylors shoulder as he frowned and prized himself away from him. "Slow down there, Boy Scout... Gonna need a little help translatin' that." He chuckled, looking Taylor over in concern.

"I just... Thankyou, for helping." Taylor said, swallowing heavily as he jerked back from the pilot as if burned, suddenly realising his over familiarity. He flushed guiltily, clearing his throat as he gestured towards the hospital. "She might have already gone home by the time we got here, if you hadn't..." 

"Glad I could help, just... try not to get yaself killed thankin' me next time." Jake snickered, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'd prefer not to have to give ya mouth to mouth out here..."

"Oh..? That mean you'd be fine to give me mouth to mouth somewhere _else?"_ Taylor asked quickly, wiggling his brows as Jake coughed on a surprised laugh.

"Damn, you don't hold back, do ya?" Jake asked as he recovered himself, as Taylor grinned and winked. _"Ahem..._ I uh, I'm not sure how to answer that."

"Sorry, that was probably... Uh, I didn't mean to assume... I mean, does that mean you... _don't_ want to..?" Taylor asked uncertainly, his confidence suddenly shaken by the other mans furrowed brow.

"Don't wanna dig myself a deeper hole, maybe..." Jake snorted, his expression clearing as Taylor bit his lip and tried to slow the rapid increase of his heart rate, as relief and hope overwhelmed his common sense. "Still can't believe an eighteen year old can keep surprisin' me, to be honest..." He laughed, shaking his head fondly, before catching sight of his watch and scowling suddenly. "But shit, I uh, I actually gotta get goin'." 

"Oh, I'm sorry! Um, I just wanted... You know. _Thanks."_ Taylor said awkwardly, stepping aside to let Jake past him to his car. As the pilot slid between his car and the next, Taylors eyes lit with amusement, and he couldn't help but make a parting quip. "Wow... Looks like you're a real pro at getting into _tight spaces_." He said, entirely unsubtly as he winked at the pilot slyly, causing him to bark another rough laugh.

Jake leaned on the roof of his car, cocking his head at him as he sucked in a deep breath with a thoughtful hum. "Ya determined to get me in trouble, ain't ya, Boy Scout?" He asked, a cocky grin spreading across his face as Taylor pretended to consider briefly.

"Hmm... I'm determined to get you into _something,_ sure." He said, flashing a bright smile at the pilot as he began to back away slowly. "But it's certainly not trouble." He said, winking as Jake chuckled and watched him intently as he walked backwards. "But, uh, seeing as you brought it up, how am I doing, Top Gun?" He asked coyly.

Jake huffed, pushing off the roof of his car with a smirk. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" He fired back, before opening his door and disappearing into his car. Taylor grinned, his heart racing as Jake slowly reversed and then winked as he passed him, turning out onto the road to head back to town.

Taylor sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground, kicking at the pavement as he idly made his way back to his friends in the hospital. _Hot pilot, very hot... scorching hot, and actually flirts back with me. Oh my god_... He thought, shivering as he bit his lip and recalled the feel of the pilots large hand around his own. _Please Taylor, for the sake of everything in the world; do not screw this up by being yourself_. He told himself firmly, his sappy grin never fading as he felt his heart radiate with genuine happiness for the first time, in what could well have been ten years.  _Finally, things are on the up again._


	6. What's Coming To You: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had a very bad week... i verh nearly did something drastic involving the delete button on my account... instead; this updatw is now ready for you and i have a new one shot 600 words in ;p
> 
> Ha
> 
> So anyway; i hope you all enjoy... its getting tricky trying to keep it all flowing properly now cuz im changint things! XD hopefully its okay though... ypull have to just let me know so i can adjust if its a flop!
> 
> x My love to you all x

**6.**

**What's Coming To You: Part Two**.

Taylor was still grinning like a fool, as he dawdled his way back into Quinn's room a short time later, humming to himself as his friends leaned against the edge of the redheads bed and talked quietly. "Well, since we're on the subject of mysterious occurrences of uncertain origin-" Zahra began, only for Quinn to shake her head and laugh.

"Wait, _what?!"_ She giggled, looking at Zahra with the same beaming smile she had Taylor earlier, and he wondered if she would stop smiling at all this side of Christmas.

"Your whole magic healing thing, you know, where you ditched the disease you got diagnosed with at age four." Zahra said, shrugging her shoulder dismissively as she frowned at Quinn for her interruption.

"Oh yes, _that."_ Quinn giggled, shaking her head fondly. "I'll have to remember to call it by its proper name in future... 'a mysterious occurrence of uncertain origin', wasn't it?" She teased, laughing when Zahra rolled her eyes at her.

"Yes, now shut up so I can tell you what happened to me today..." She huffed, grinning wickedly as she launched into a brief but relatively detailed explanation of their morning encounter with Estela, though she omitted something which Taylor felt was highly important.

"Yes, and don't forget to mention how you busted my nose!" He said hotly, though his giddy grin spoilt the effect of his scolding significantly.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in..." Quinn giggled, as she and Zahra turned to see his approach. She laughed as he flopped bonelessly over her bed, his head coming to rest in her lap as he grinned up at her. "I take it you found him, then?"

"I flirted." He said proudly, his cheeks turning a warm pink as Quinn laughed and ran her fingers through his hair affectionately, while Zahra snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Well done, you." Quinn giggled, smiling down at his self satisfied expression. "So, I take it this guy is cute then?" She said knowingly, as Zahra scoffed at Taylors eager nodding.

"He's okay," she admitted, grinning as she nudged Taylors shoulder, ignoring his reproachful pout for disturbing his relaxed position. "'Course, I'm just looking forward to seeing Rebecca flip at him for hitting on her brother again."

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn huffed, as Taylor grinned unashamedly, humming contentedly. "You don't like to do things the easy way, do you..?" She giggled, as he shook his head slowly.

He pointed to Zahra suddenly, his face falling comically as he touched the tiny mark on his nose with his other hand. "Zahra smashed her locker door into my face." He complained, as Zahra shrugged dismissively at his accusation. _"She_ made me less pretty."

"Oh shut up, Taylor. You're still pretty and you _know_ it." Quinn laughed, finally shoving him off her lap and sending him sprawling off her bed with a surprised yelp.

"I don't." Zahra said with a smirk, sniggering as Taylor scowled and sniffed at them both.

"You guys are so horrible to me..." He huffed, dusting himself off as he turned his back on them both in childish petulance, while continuing to mutter to himself quietly.

"So, this whole... thing with the locker." Quinn said hesitantly, steering them back on topic as her amusement at Taylors antics faded slightly. "Are you _positive_ there's not some other explanation..?" She asked, biting her lip as Taylor snorted.

"My nose is entirely positive." He groused, scowling as Zahra chuckled and tipped her chin toward him in agreement.

"About as positive the doctors are about your illness curing itself." Zahra said, clicking her tongue as she spread her palms at Quinn's conflicted expression. "I'm telling you... I thought it, and it happened."

"So, you're suddenly telekinetic, and I'm mysteriously cured..." Quinn began, frowning as she considered their situation, before flashing a coy grin at Taylors turned back. _"And_ Taylor has someone _actually_ flirting with him-"

"Hey! Why does _that_ have to be lumped in with the strange and mysterious?" He cried, turning with an accusing glare, as Quinn giggled and bumped her fist against Zahra's when the other girl presented it to her.

"Because you're a hopeless idiot..." She huffed affectionately, blowing him a kiss when he pouted at her reproachfully.

"Hey, never mind _his_ loser ass..." Zahra sneered, though her lips twitched with amusement. "Lets get back to the important point here; me, and my new kickass ability to slam my locker-"

"... into my nose." Taylor concluded for her, scowling as she merely rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, _fine..._ I'll let it go, for _now."_ He said, narrowing his eyes as Zahra stared at him blankly, before he finally huffed and shook his head. "So, think you can do it again, Snape?"

 _"Snape?!"_ Zahra growled, scowling as she jabbed a finger at him. "You are _so_ not calling me that." She demanded, as a slow grin broke out across Taylors face.

"Oh, you don't like that one?" He asked, snickering when Zahra flushed with irritation. "Well, that's settled. From here on, I dub thee; Snape. Because he is grumpy and magical, just like _you."_ He said fondly, bopping her on the nose as she jerked back with an expression of disgust.

"You know, I've been trying to do this finicky ass thing again all day, but maybe I just need to practice on your _face_ again..." She threatened, glaring at him as he smiled back at her unaffectedly. She sighed, sensing her loss on the matter, running a hand through he Mohawk as she thought for a moment. "Pretty sure I moved an eraser in Social Studies..." She finally huffed, turning away from Taylors victorious, smug grin. "Best I figure, is that its like a muscle... Like, maybe if I rest it a little bit, it'll come back stronger... And then pretty soon, I'll get all psychic-swole." She said, looking at her hands with a faint glimmer of excitement in her gaze.

"I just don't know about all this..." Quinn said, worrying her lip as she frowned uncertainly. "Doesn't the timing seem odd? Like, maybe this all has something to do with... _you know..."_ She said, trailing off as the amusement faded from the room, even Taylor turning serious at the troubling thought.

"Redfield?" Zahra muttered, frowning out of the small bedside window. Taylor raised a brow, as Quinn gasped and glanced around worriedly.

"Don't say his _name!"_ She whispered urgently, her eyes wide with concern as she wrapped her arms around her chest as if she were cold.

"Quinn..." Taylor sniggered quietly, shaking his head as he stepped forward and pulled her into a one armed hug. "He isn't Voldemort."

"You don't know _what_ he is, Taylor!" She said hotly, wriggling free of his hold to glare at him. _"None_ of us do..." She said, shivering as she paced across the room. "Diego goes missing, turns up in a coma. Weird monsters prowling the woods. I collapse, and should probably be having a million new meds shoved into me to wake me up... Now this like, witchcraft stuff too? What if Mr. Red is doing all this?" She pressed, pausing as she turned towards Zahra with a haunted gleam in her eyes. "What if he's behind all this? What is he's manipulating you? Or _controlling_ you?"

"Okay, first of all, I object to the persecutory undertones if the word 'witchcraft', 'cause lets face it; I make this shit badass." Zahra scoffed, gesturing to herself proudly. "Second of all; _no one_ controls _me!"_

"But that's what you would say if you _were!"_ Quinn persisted, as Zahra paused, her brows rising in surprise.

"I... wow." She huffed, scratching behind her ear thoughtfully. "Oof." She said, as Taylor frowned between them both. "I guess, you _might_ be onto something there..." She admitted reluctantly.

"Hey, Snape, give me a dollar." Taylor said quickly, receiving a middle finger gesture and an irritated scowl in response. "Okay, I am pretty sure that is _one_ person who is _not_ being controlled..." He snorted, bumping his fist to hers as her eyes flashes with grateful relief. " I mean come on guys, why would Redfield do any of this? What exactly does a monster gain, from handing out superpowers and magic cure-alls? Not, that I am looking a gift horse in the mouth here..."

"Servants?" Quinn asked, frowning as she shook her head lightly. "No... Oh, what's that other word..?" She muttered, her fingers tapping against her arms as she thought. _"Thralls!"_ She cried suddenly, her crystalline eyes rising to flit from Taylor to Zahra, gazing at her intently. "What if Mr. Red, wants to make you into some kind of... _puppet?_ Like those other monsters you fought..."

Quinn's words struck a chord, and Taylor bit his lip in mounting concern as Zahra shuddered, but covered it up with a snarky scoff. "A badass like me? _Psh..."_ She snorted, though her confident words were belied by her uncertain expression. "That... that could never happen." She said, looking over at Taylor with the first hints of genuine concern in her eyes. _"Could_ it?"

Taylor shook his head, the gesture hiding the fear in his eyes as he wiped away all his uncertainty from his expression and pasted a soft smile across his face. "Zahra, we won't let that happen." He said warmly, his smile growing as she rolled her eyes but noticeably regained some of her usual attitude.

"Urgh, Taylor... can you chill with all that 'power of friendship' stuff?" She demanded, grimacing in distaste at the sentimentality behind his words. "You're gonna give me a cavity..." She said, scowling at him as he tried to hide his amusement. "But, it does make me feel better, so... Thanks." She reluctantly confessed, rolling her eyes as he snorted and huffed a dry laugh.

For a moment they remained silent, each lost to their own thoughts on the sudden good luck which seemed to have affected their lives. "Look..." Zahra said suddenly, licking her lips briefly before turning to the others determinedly. "I'm not gonna _not_ explore this, just because its supposedly evil..." She said, scowling as Quinn began to say something, before pushing on to finish her sentence. "But, I'll be careful." She promised, grimacing at the words despite their success in placating Quinn for the moment. "And, if I start hearing like, creepy whispers, telling me to murder my friends; you guys will be the first to know... One way or another." 

"... Felt sick from being so nice, didn't you?" Taylor laughed as Zahra grimaced and looked away, her cheeks stained with a hint of pink from embarrassment.

"Oh my _gosh,_ Zahra!" Quinn scolded, trying to scowl but failing as she was overwhelmed by laughter instead. "That is _so_ not funny!"

"I mean, it's a _little_ funny." Taylor snickered, as Zahra scowled and purposely avoided their eyes. "But look, how about this? We were gonna take Quinn's library books back anyway, so why not take a look around in the library? See if we can find out anything from there?"

"Urgh, voluntary research..." Zahra sneered distastefully, though she didn't otherwise resist the idea. "I'm not sure I wanna know _that_ bad..." She snorted, shaking her head as she moved towards the doorway.

"What about if I said I'd stretch to pizza and beer after?" Taylor asked, as Zahra paused and quickly reconsidered.

"I am all in for free alcohol." She said, as Quinn giggled and looped her arm through Taylors, heading down to the reception desk with them to see if her discharge was ready. "But seriously, like, I mean a _lot_ of alcohol. Drinking til we puke amounts of alcohol; oh Taylor! You should call my dad again so I can stay at yours, then we can get _really_ wrecked."

"Once in this lifetime, was _more_ than enough." Taylor muttered, grimacing as he recalled his last conversation with Zahra's father, the previous evening. "I'm gonna be traumatised by that phone call til the day I die." He sulked, quickly calling a cab as they waited for Quinn to sign a few papers and discharge herself. Once she was finished, they strode out the main entrance and clambered into the waiting cab, filling Quinn in on the awkward phone call Taylor had shared with Zahra's father the night before. Upon reaching their destination, Taylor quickly paid the fare and followed behind his friends, the sound of their laughter carrying them into the library.

Inside, Taylor milled around the stacks, not so subtly eyeing the 'adult' section with a thoughtful frown; distractedly chatting with Zahra, while Quinn returned her books. "Well, three guesses what you're thinking about." Zahra snorted, rolling her eyes when Taylor responded with a vague hum for the third time in a row. "Honestly, if you're still a virgin after homecoming, I'm gonna hex you... _And him."_ She sniffed, startling Taylor from his thoughts as he yelped in surprise and flushed crimson. "I'll make it so neither one of you can sit down, until you've damn well got it over with." She sneered, scowling as Taylor shushed her and glanced around quickly.

 _"Zahra!"_ He hissed, wrapping his arms around his torso as he frowned at her. "What the hell makes you so certain I'm a virgin anyway?" He demanded, scowling at her in irritation.

 _"Pfft,_ please." Zahra scoffed, shaking her head at him woefully. "You light up at the first sign of a hot, single guy within fifteen feet of you. You're like a peacock." She said, smirking when Taylor flushed and scowled at her.

"I..." Taylor sniffed, before his breath escaped him in a heavy sigh. "Wish I could deny that." He said sheepishly, reaching up to scratch his ear, as he looked over at her guiltily. "I'm sorry, okay? What were you saying?"

"I said, I think there must be something in the water around here." Zahra repeated, sighing wearily as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Uh..." Taylor frowned, cocking his head in confusion as Zahra rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "I... was gonna lie, but I just decided against it. I don't follow... What do you mean, Snape?" He admitted in a rush, grinning at Zahra's obviously mounting frustration.

"This town has, like, a history of spooky weirdness." She grit out, narrowing her eyes at his serious expression and agreeable nod. "Witch trials, cults; you name it."

"Witch trials, say you..." Taylor hummed, winking as he nudged her shoulder playfully. "A good place for us to start looking, says I! _Arrrr!"_ He sniggered, as she stared at him with a flat and unimpressed glare. 

"Yeah." She drawled, as Taylor pouted at her lack of enthusiasm for his pirate impression. She cleared her throat and looked around the library thoughtfully, leaving Taylor to fiddle dejectedly with a nearby book. "Back in the eighteen hundreds. I'm pretty sure they hanged a bunch of women."

 _"Whaaat?!"_ Taylor gasped, frowning suddenly in consternation. "Wait, how have I _never_ heard about this?" He asked curiously, as Zahra smirked at him.

"Because you live under a rock?" She said dryly, as Taylor snorted and hummed in vague agreement. "But for real, it's not exactly the kind of thing they put in tourism pamphlets." She said, as Quinn returned from the counter.

"What are we talking about?" The redhead asked, beaming a bright smile between them both.

"Taylors lack of skill in losing his virginity." Zahra quipped dryly, bursting out in raucous laughter at Taylors sudden, strained choking. "Oh my god, Quinn, look at his _face!"_ She chortled, shaking her head as Quinn bit her lip in an attempt to contain a laugh, upon beholding Taylors scarlet cheeks.

"If we happen to see it, I am _so_ letting that damn bear eat you." Taylor groused, folding his arms over his chest as he glared at Zahra accusingly. He narrowed his eyes as Quinn giggled briefly, before quickly covering her mouth and lowering her gaze apologetically. _"Ahem..._ We were actually talking about Westchester's spooky history." He sneered, turning away with a petulant huff.

"Does it _have_ one?" Quinn gasped, looking over at Zahra in wide eyed surprise, hesitant to believe the usually sarcastic girl.

"Yes!" Zahra said, scowling at Taylor as if Quinn's disbelief were somehow his fault. "I'm not making this stuff up." She groused, sniffing derisively as she glanced around the library.

For a moment they stood in silence, Taylor still pouting over Zahra's teasing, while she flipped the bird at him unrepentantly. "Well," Quinn said, her radiant smile returning as she pointed across the library. "If we are looking into it, I suggest we start in the history section. And," she paused, biting her lip as she glanced around briefly, before lowering her voice. "We might even be able to learn more about... _you know who_."

Taylor raised a brow, glancing around suspiciously himself before stepping closer and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm surprised you want to..." He admitted, causing Quinn to laugh quietly.

"I _don't."_ She huffed, looking up at him with determination. "But, if something _is_ after us, I'd prefer to understand it." She said, smiling as she leaned into his side affectionately. "Also, I just like hanging out with you guys, and I wanna grab as much time as I can before my parents expect me home."

"Aw, that was  _so_ cute, Quinn." Zahra drawled dryly, rolling her eyes towards her in a flat glare. "I think I'm gonna barf." She sniffed, turning to Taylor as Quinn giggled. "Well, dork? What do you say?"

"Huh? I thought it was my idea to come do some digging, then we can go do some drinking. Or, grab something to drink at mine... Either or." He said, looking around suspiciously before whispering exaggeratedly. "Alcohol." He laughed, as Zahra grinned and bumped her fist to his, before liking around the shelves curiously. "So, where do we start, beautiful?" He asked, jostling Quinn and playfully swatting her on her ass.

"Hey!" She laughed, shaking her head as she gestured across the library. "Follow me." She said, heading over to a library computer and sitting in the chair, pulling up a catalog search while Taylor and Zahra crowded behind her. "Okay, so first off, let's try... 'Westchester' and 'witches'." She said, her fingers moving quickly over the keys before hitting enter, only to have a tonne of useless results fill the screen.

"Urgh, so much for _that..."_ She muttered, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she frowned and cleared away the search results.

"Try, 'Oregon cults'." Zahra suggested, ignoring Taylors raised brow as Quinn did as she was asked, hitting enter again; only to shake her head.

"Same thing." She said, frowning at the screen as if were being deliberately obstinate. "We need to narrow down the search somehow."

Taylor felt a shadow pass over his heart, and he cleared his throat roughly as he stared at the screen. "Try looking for death records." He suggested quietly, pretending not to notice the glances both Zahra and Quinn sent him. "Look for hangings, burnings, stuff like that."

"... Good idea." Quinn said, though Taylor wasn't so sure himself, already regretting his suggestion; as Quinn made a few light keystrokes and pushed enter, causing a handful of promising results to pop up on the screen. 

"Nice work, Taylor." Zahra praised dryly, bumping her fist into his shoulder with more force than Taylor felt was necessary. 

Quinn studied the search results, humming thoughtfully as she browsed quickly. "Okay, I see two here we should check out." She said, pointing to the screen. "The first is a book. _Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Klamath Country, Volume Eight._.."

"Wow, what a mouthful..." Taylor huffed, snickering to himself. "And not the kind I'd-"

"On it." Zahra said, rolling her eyes as she cut Taylor off, writing down the Dewey number before disappearing deeper into the library.

"Nobody ever appreciates my jokes..." Taylor pouted, sighing forlornly as Quinn snorted and glanced up from the screen.

"Taylor, you _weren't_ joking..." He giggled quietly, as Taylor shrugged dismissively, though his cheeks flared with the faint tell of a guilty blush.

 _"Ahem..._ So, uh, what's the other... _thing?"_ He asked, changing the subject as he ran a hand through his short red hair, unintentionally missing his spikes.

"Looks like..." Quinn said, frowning as she leaned closer to the screen and scanned the second promising result. "A newspaper article..? Let me see if I can bring it up." She said, clicking a few links and finally bringing the article up on screen, allowing Taylor to lean on the back of her chair, as he began to read aloud.

" _August twenty second, nineteen seventy six._.." He said, frowning in confusion briefly, until his eyes widened suddenly, distracted by the headline of the article. " _Klamath County Police Discover... Forest Massacre_?! Holy shi-"

"Oh my god..." Quinn gasped, her hand over her mouth as she scanned the article quickly, before beginning to read aloud herself. "... _remains of fourteen young men and women, suspected to be a part of a religious group, were found in the Westchester woods a few days ago_..."

"Those are _our_ woods." Taylor whispered harshly, his breath quickening as his stomach churned uneasily. He tried to calm himself down, telling himself it couldn't be related; but his heart vehemently refused to accept the cheap lie.

 _"... authorities characterized deaths as a mass suicide; but questions have arisen, regarding mutilated remains and... ritualistic posing_..." Quinn gasped, her eyes wide as she shook her head in disbelief.

"It's _gotta_ be Redfield!" Taylor choked, his hands curling into tight fists, a she stared at the article with a rising sense of nausea in his gut. "He must have murdered them, just like he did with-" he choked off, swallowing thickly against the grief and guilt which consumed him. _I set a mass murdering, demonic spirit loose on my friends... God, I'm lucky any of them survived_! He thought, his throat constricting with the bitter taste of bile.

"This is crazy..." Quinn whispered, her fingers trembling as she raised them to her brow, swiping away an imagined strand of hair from her eyes. 

They both jumped as Zahra returned suddenly, carrying an ancient ledger with brass rings. "You think _that's_ crazy..." She scoffed, smirking smugly as she banged the ledger down on the table, kicking up a load of dust. "Get a load of _this!"_ She crowed, planting her finger on an open page. 

Taylor frowned, pushing aside the awful nausea in his gut as he stepped closer to the book and peered at the passage Zahra indicated. " _Trial proceedings for the people of Westchester versus_... Wow." Taylor choked, his eyes widening as he looked at the long list of the accused. "That's a lot if names. Who _are_ all these women?" He wondered aloud, glancing up when Zahra chuckled darkly.

"The survivors of a massacre, on trial for witchcraft." She said smugly, motioning toward Quinn as the two of them lowered their faces toward the faded print. _"Testimony of Rosemary Willow, November ninth, eighteen seventy one_..." Zahra read aloud, her finger following the passage gently. _"Miss Willow, please describe for the court where you were on the night of All Hallows Eve..."_

 _"Walking home from a masquerade party, through the woods off... Mill Creek Road._ " Quinn intoned, trading off with Zahra as they took on the two roles from the passage.

" _Would you please tell the jury, what you saw that night?_ " Zahra said, winking at Taylor excitedly as he squirmed uncomfortably, his gut still churning.  

 _"I saw people in the woods_..." Quinn said, her voice quivering slightly as she read aloud the words which someone had spoken, more than a hundred years before.

 _"Let the record show, that Miss Willow, has indicated the defendants_." Zahra said, taking far too much fun in the creepy role play, in Taylors personal opinion.

" _And I saw_..." Quinn said, hesitating briefly as she bit her lip. _"Another."_ She said, glancing up to meet Taylors knowing gaze, before he quickly averted his eyes.

 _"What do you mean another_?" Zahra demanded roughly, smirking as she enjoyed the live action replay of history. " _Another person? Do you mean the deceased, whose bloodied corpses were found the next morning?"_

 _"No. I mean_..." Quinn said, her eyes widening suddenly as she stared at the page in disbelief. "... _him!"_ She gasped, as the lights flickered suddenly, causing Taylors heart to clench in sudden fear.

 _"Him who?"_ Zahra asked, her own eyes widening in surprise, having apparently not read so far on her own. " _Miss Willow, who did you see_?" She demanded, not noticing the again flickering lights, as Taylor glanced about uneasily.

"Uh, _guys..?"_ He coughed roughly, clearing his throat as he was overcome by a chill deep within his bones, the lights flickering and throwing them briefly into darkness, before returning again.

 _"Let the record show that Miss Willow is pointing to the back of the courtroom... and screaming_." Zahra read eagerly, too focused on her reading to notice their environment. 

"Maybe, we should give it a rest for today..." Quinn said dazedly, as if trying to wake from a particularly vivid dream.

 _"Miss Willow, please sit down_!" Zahra said, her voice rising as the library was thrown into darkness once more, seeming utterly enthralled by the words on the page before her.

"Zahra..." Taylor warned, as the lights flickered, struggling to stay on, before plunging them back into darkness.

 _"Miss Willow, what are you doing_?!" Zahra demanded, her voice rough and twisted, almost as if she were speaking in two times at once.

 _"Zahra!"_ Taylor cried, as the lights flickered back on to reveal his friend staring at the ancient ledger with wide eyes, as if watching a scene play out before her.

 _"Oh my god, someone stop her_!" Zahra all but yelled, her distress mounting as she cringed, as if expecting to be struck.

Taylor moved without thinking, flinging the book off the table. The fluorescent lights buzzed around them as the power settled itself, as Zahra blinked and looked up in surprise to see Taylor scowling at her. "You know, generally when the lights start flickering?" He snapped, folding his arms over his chest to hide the shaking of his hands. "That's a good sign you should _stop_ reading aloud from the creepy book!" He scolded quickly, his voice rising in his ire, as he drew in a deep breath and huffed irritably.

"I'm sorry, it was like... I was _stuck."_ Zahra said, and Taylor softened slightly upon receiving her rare and genuine apology. "But," she said, shaking her head as she met his gaze with wide eyes. "Taylor, it was _him!"_

"Uh, yeah." Taylor groused, his scowl returning at the reminder of the ominous light flickering, shivering as he recalled the similar blackout in the gym the previous morning. _"No kidding!"_

"No, idiot, I mean back then! The trial!" Zahra said, waving away his frustration with a dismissive gesture. "Creepy entity, lives in the woods, worshipped by a crazy cult..."

"... _Redfield..."_ Taylor murmured, exhaling a shaly breath as his eyes widened in realisation. "And," he said pointedly, exchanging a glance with Quinn. "That would make _two_ mass murders in Westchester, in the same woods, within a hundred years of one another..."

"Okay, I am _officially_ freaked out." Quinn said, pushing away from the computer and scrambling to her feet. "Can we be _done_ for the day?" She asked, gazing at Taylor imploringly as she shivered.

 _"Definitely."_ He agreed, grimacing in reluctance as he glanced at the computer and ledger. "But... lets make copies of all this stuff first." He suggested.

"I hate you _so_ much right now, Taylor." Quinn muttered darkly, scowling at him reproachfully. "And don't even _try_ the cute look with me, I am _not_ gonna be swayed by that right now." She added, as Taylor pouted at her.

"What about if I buy you lunch tomorrow?" He offered, wiggling his brows playfully. Quinn huffed and rolled her eyes, sighing as she moved to print off the documents from the computer for him.

"Better be a _giant_ cupcake with it." She complained, as Taylor grinned and helped Zahra collect the ledger, running their findings through the ancient copier and assembling the results into a folder. "Here, Taylor... you should take these home with you." She said, as she added her printouts to the file.

"What, why _me?"_ Taylor yelped, though he reluctantly accepted the folder from her hands.

"Because there's _no way_ in hell I'm taking these creepy ass things home with me." She giggled, holding her arms behind her back as she grinned at him.

"And, thus concludes our spooky scavenger hunt." Zahra said dryly, swinging her bag to her shoulder as Taylor roughly stuffed the folder into his own.

"Emphasis, on _spooky."_ Quinn said firmly, shivering and shaking her head as she grimaced in disgust.

"So, uh... Anybody else ready to go back outside now?" Zahra asked, clearing her throat abruptly as Quinn hopped around the computer and grabbed her bag.

"Yes, please!" She cried, darting away ahead of them. Taylor laughed and rushed after her, leaving Zahra to bring up the rear.

"Oh, man... I am _so_ pleased to be outta there!" He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stretched in relief.

"Urgh, Taylor, I gotta take a raincheck on all that alcohol you promised me." Zahra complained as she exited, stuffing her phone into her pocket as she scowled at the device. "My dad's making me go home. Early curfew due to bears." She snarked in obvious disgust.

"Oh, hey, no worries." Taylor said, trying to keep his disappointment from his face and voice. "Parents, right?" He chuckled awkwardly, averting his eyes. "Maybe the weekend or something then..?" He offered weakly.

 _"Definitely,_ loser." Zahra said, bumping her fist to his shoulder affectionately. "Well, later dorks. Don't get eaten by monsters. Or a bear." She said, as she backed away.

"Gee, _thanks."_ Taylor snorted, waving her off, before he and Quinn turned and wandered down the the road out of town.

"I have to admit..." Quinn sighed, looking up at the sky with a radiant smile. "Even with everything that's going on... its nice to be able to hang out with everyone again." She said, kicking at a pebble on the road.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Taylor said quietly, thinking of his friends and the easy way they slotted together again, even after such a long time apart. Quinn's phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her pocket, blushing as she read a text message. "Who's got you all flustered?" He asked, grinning at the shy look of happiness on her face.

"Um, Michelle..." She admitted, as Taylors expression fell from his face, carefully replaced by a mask of neutrality. "She uh, she went to the hospital to see me and found out I was discharged already. She was just... making sure I was okay." She said evasively, biting her lip as she looked down at her phone.

"How nice of her." Taylor said stiffly, trying not to spoil the redheads good mood, as her face grinned with a tentative hope and joy which she struggled to contain. "I'm... happy for you." He said awkwardly, as Quinn burst out laughing.

"Oh please, Taylor, say it a little _less_ believably!" She giggled, looking up at him with amusement in her crystalline blue eyes. "You don't have to be such a brown noser, you know." She laughed, as Taylors jaw dropped in feigned offence, and he jostled her gently.

"Look, I know she used to be a half decent person, back before Sean broke down and cut ties with everything he knew..." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as Quinn continued to giggle at him. "I just... I don't see what you obviously do. But, that said, so long as she keeps treating you nicely; she and I needn't have a little chat in my torture dungeon." He said, smirking as Quinn stumbled from laughing too hard.

"Taylor!" She gasped, pausing at the side of the road to catch her breath and wipe tears from her eyes. "You do _not_ have a torture dungeon! You don't even have a _basement!"_ She laughed, shaking her head at his ridiculousness.

"Maybe I built one." Taylor defended lightly, setting Quinn off laughing again. "Got bored last night, dug out a big hole under the house. Gonna hide people I don't like in there." He said, pretending to think for a moment. "Michelle gets a free pass, only because it would make you sad. But one mean comment from her-" he said warningly, snapping his fingers meaningfully.

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn giggled, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. "You really are the limit sometimes." She sighed, shaking her head again as she slowly calmed down and turned thoughtful. "With just how awful she's been recently, I really thought she _hated_ me or something..."

"Yeah," Taylor quipped dryly, huffing as he rolled his eyes. "She was pretty convincing in that regard..." He said scathingly, silently fuming for a moment, before jerking his chin at her phone. "She say sorry again? Or at least explain why she acts that way..?"

Quinn sighed, looking up at him wistfully as they began to dawdle down the road again. "She's not always like that, or at least, she didn't _used_ to be..." She said hesitantly, seeming to choose her words carefully.

"I remember." Taylor said quietly, thinking back to when both Craig and Michelle had been semi decent human beings, before they decided that Sean needing some space to deal with his family issues, was some personal insult to themselves.

"Even when she first got all, _popular,"_ she said, sneering at the word and all it stood for. "She used to be so kind and sweet... until..."

"Your illness flared up..?" Taylor guessed, as the redhead hesitated before reluctantly nodding her head.

"Yeah... I passed out one day, much like today." She admitted, grimacing at the memory. "While I was in the hospital, everything with Sean happened; and then, by the time I was able to come back to school, she was just... _different."_ She said, sighing heavily.

"So that note you left..." Taylor pushed, nudging Quinn's arm affectionately as he referenced the previous evening. "You two actually used to be, like, full on friends?"

 _"Mmhm..."_ Quinn hummed, her cheeks darkening slightly as she cleared her throat. "Um, best friends, actually." She admitted shyly, as Taylor raised a brow at her curiously.

"So... How did you two know each other?" He asked, tactfully not mentioning Quinn's flushed state.

"We were in scouts togethe-" Quinn began, breaking off to blink in surprise when Taylor burst out laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I just..." He snorted, shaking his head as he recalled his personal nickname from Jake. "Never mind, just ignore me... Carry on?" He asked, a giddy chuckle escaping him as he looked over at Quinn in amusement.

 _"Riiiight..."_ Quinn said slowly, eyeing him curiously, before shrugging aside his strange outburst. "Anyway, we lived on the same block. So, when I was actually allowed to go, we would share rides a lot." She laughed quietly, her gaze turning distant as she looked at her feet. "I got picked on a fair bit by the other girls, and she liked having an excuse to hit people, so we just kinda... clicked, I guess." She said fondly, chuckling as she shook away her memories and looked up at Taylor. "Which is weirdly ironic, given how she's been treating me lately..."

"Well, it sounds like you two were pretty close at one point..." Taylor said, guilt gnawing at his heart briefly, as he considered that Michelle had been there for his friend at a time when he himself hadn't.

"Yeah." Quinn said, giggling as she bit her lip and glanced at him from beneath her lashes, her cheeks darkening. _"Super_ close, actually... There was this one year, at summer camp; something I threw a fit about being allowed to go to, until I got my own way... anyway, Michelle and I-"

Quinn's words trailed off, as something huge came tumbling up behind them. Taylor glanced over his shoulder, and came face to face with Craig. "Heh, check it out... It's the freak parade!" The jock called from the drivers seat, as a red convertible rolled up alongside Taylor. Estela lounged in the passenger seat, her gaze narrowing slightly as she met Taylors gaze, before looking away with a scowl.

"Hey, check it out, it's a rolling dumpster fire." Taylor shot back, his irritation rising as he deliberately stepped in between the car and Quinn, gently catching her elbow and encouraging her to walk faster.

However, Craig stepped on the accelerator, matching the cars pace with theirs. "What's the hurry, brah?" He asked, grinning as Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"What do you _want?"_ He finally asked, when the jock continued to follow them both. He debated for a moment, diverting Quinn into the woods, but reconsidered quickly; his mind flashing back to the scene in the library with Zahra.

"Haven't you dorks heard?" Craig huffed, grinning broadly as he glanced at the clearly disinterested Estela. "There's a bear on the prowl. We saw you walking and... thought we'd give you a lift." He said, sniggering to himself.

"Yeah, _sure."_ Quinn scoffed, flashing a glare in the jocks direction, as Estela turned towards the redhead in sudden interest.

"How dumb do you think we are?" Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he sighed. "Wait, don't answer that, I don't think I could stand to lose the brain cells, listening to yo-"

"What's the matter?" Craig asked, his fingers tapping against his window frame. "We're all friends here, brah... C'mon, dude, hop in." He said, twitching the wheel towards them.

"Knock it off, Drax!" Taylor growled,  scowling at Craig as he began to laugh raucously. "We already _know_ you're an ass, you don't need to _prove_ it!"

"It's not me, it's the car!" Craig protested, his time heavy with amusement as he sniggered. Quinn gasped as Taylor flinched, the car thumping against his arm.

 _"Aaah!_ Knock it off!" She growled, moving to step around Taylor, only for him to hold her back with his arm, keeping her on his far side and away from the car as he flashed her a warning glance.

"Warning; assholes are closer than they appear..." Taylor murmured, discreetly wrapping his hand in his sleeve, before striking out suddenly and slamming his fist into Craig's mirror. Deep cracks exploded across the glass, as Taylor stepped back with a self satisfied smirk.

"Hey," Craig cried, his eyes widening in shock, while Estela's dark gaze seemed to resonate with approval. "What the _hell?!"_ The jock roared, his brake lights flashing red as his doors burst open, both Craig and Estela stepping out onto the road. "This is a brand new car, bro!"

"Aw, damn man... That _sucks,_ cuz look! The mirrors all busted!" Taylor gasped, feigning a shocked expression before grinning and winking quickly. "I guess that in the future, maybe you shouldn't use it to _hit people!"_ He snarked, urging Quinn to back away from him, as Craig stalked towards him.

"Oh, my bad brah..." The jock sneered, a menacing grimace twisting his face. "Would you rather I hit you some _other_ way?" He asked, his large hands curling into tight fists. "Happy to _oblige!"_ He roared, drawing back his fist and smashing it into Taylors jaw before he could react.

 _"Oof!"_ Taylor gasped, hitting the asphalt with a heavy thump. He shook his head dazedly, before scowling as he turned his gaze back to Craig, tasting blood in the back of his mouth.

 _"Taylor!"_ Quinn cried, rushing to his side and crouching over him protectively "You two better leave Taylor alone, or else!" She snarled, glaring up at Craig and Estela hatefully.

Craig's eyebrows shot up on his forehead, before he began to laugh hysterically. "Or _else?"_ The jock gasped, grinning at her as if she had just told the funniest joke.

"Craig." Estela said calmly, casting Taylor and Quinn a brief glance as she moved to get back into the car. "Lets go." 

 _"Whaaat?!"_ Craig exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief as the dark haired girl hopped over the door and back into the passenger seat, while Quinn gently helped Taylor back to his feet. "Didn't you see what he did to my car?!"

"And you made him pay for it." Estela replied, picking at a nail dismissively. "Now, let's go." She repeated, as Craig shook his head at her in mute disbelief.

The jock turned back to Taylor, his expression darkening as he gave him a rough shove, ignoring Quinn's disgruntled cry of protest. Taylor felt his temper flare, shoving Craig back without thinking as he glared and once more put himself between the jock and his friend. "Quinn, _run."_ He said firmly, as Craig stared at him in incredulously.

 _"What?!"_ She cried, swatting Taylors shoulder roughly. "No! I'm not going anywhere without _you!"_ She insisted, as Taylor scowled at Craig and grit his teeth.

"How bout you move, and we all go our separate ways?" He suggested, his hands balling into fists as Craig shook his head and stepped closer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" He sneered, his bulking form looming over Taylor. 

"Craig." Estela called, her tone coloured by frustration, as she glared at the jock warningly. "Get in the damn car. Let's go."

"Yeah, Craigslist, _let's go_." Taylor sneered, his eyes flicking over Craig in disgust. "Better yet, why don't you just stop being a whiny little _bitch,_ and go tell Sean how butt hurt you are about him choosing to take care of his mom over spending time with you?!" He ranted, stumbling backwards slightly, as Quinn tugged on his arm.

"What?" Craig frowned, pausing as Taylor realised what he'd said. He firmly sealed his lips together, refusing to say anything further about his friends previous years troubles.

 _"Craig."_ Estela growled, scowling over the windscreen at the jock, as he cocked his head and continued to frown at Taylor, trying to work out the unintentional hint he'd been given into his former best friends life.

Taylor scowled as Craig remained blocking their path, staring at him intently as if he might somehow get an answer straight from his mind. _"Arghh..._ Just _go away_ and leave us _alone_ already!" Quinn growled in frustration, as the bushes at the edge of the road began to shake, and something huge surged out.

"What the _hell?!"_ Craig cried, finally distracted from Taylors comment, as a dense cloud of crows exploded out if the trees, slamming into him like a fist and smashing his head into his car. _"Ngh!"_

The crows swarmed in a cyclone of black feathers, tearing at Craig with their beaks and claws, while Estela sat in the passenger seat and glared, her jaw locked with rage. _"Aaaah!"_ Craig hollered, lashing out at the birds with his arms as he scrambled around his car and dove over his door into the drivers seat. 

"I told you to get in the car." Estela fumed, scowling as the birds continued to menace him from all sides, swatting one of them out of the air with an almost negligent backhand, as it flew across her face.

"The hell with _this,_ brah!" Craig cried, his convertible's engine roaring as the car sped off. As soon as it turned the corner, the screaming crows dispersed into the sky with a rush of wings.

"Oh my _god!"_ Quinn gasped, her eyes wide as she stared up at the sky in disbelief, before locking her eyes onto Taylors. "Did you _see_ that?!"

"See what?" Taylor asked innocently, feigning a curious glance around him. "Did I miss something cool again?" He wondered teasingly, as Quinn huffed a startled laugh, before rolling her eyes. "Oh wait, you mean that _totally awesome_ thing just now?!" He cried, running both hands through his hair as he grinned widely. "Holy crap..." He huffed, shaking his head as he lowered his hands and smiled at Quinn warmly. "I've heard of karma, but who knew it was so speedy and efficient?"

"Yeah, those crazy birds showed up right on time." Quinn said, frowning as she shook her head slowly. "It was almost like..."

 _"Don't_ say it!" Taylor yelped, slamming his hands over his ears. When he heard only Quinn's exasperated giggle, he uncovered them again with a sigh. "I've heard more than enough about _that_ for one day, thankyou. Now, I don't know about you, but I need clean underwear and some _seriously_ strong goddamn alco-" before Taylor could finish voicing his needs, he was distracted by a small sound from the road. He frowned and looked down to his feet, his eyes widening in surprise at the poor sight he found.

 _"Awwwk..."_ Whimpered a crow, as Taylor felt his heart lurch in sympathy for its small huddled form.

"It's the crow Estela smacked..." He murmured, crouching down slowly to try and get a better look a the creature.

"Aw..." Quinn said, gazing down ag the small animal sadly. "I think he's hurt..." She said worriedly, as Taylor held out his hand.

"Com here, little guy..." He said, shuffling closer to the animal himself. He moved to pick the bird up, only to yelp when it suddenly fluffed out its feathers and pecked at his fingers.

 _"K-kaw!"_ It cried, as Taylor scowled and gently swatted a finger on its beak in reprimand. _"Kaw..."_ The bird huffed sadly, staggering to its feet, before raggedly flapping off into the trees.

"Poor thing..." Quinn said longingly, gazing after the bird as it disappeared from view. "I hope he makes it back home." She sighed, as Taylor pushed to his feet.

"Come on," he said, wincing as he rubbed his jaw tentatively. "Let's get going." He urged, throwing his arm over Quinn's shoulder as they continued down the road.

They walked in silence for a time, each lost in their thoughts over what had occurred; each trying to convince themselves that the actions of the crows, were entirely spontaneous, and nothing to do with what else they knew lived in the woods. Before he knew it, they'd reached Taylors house, and he blinked in surprise as they paused outside. "Sorry, spaced out there for a bit..." He apologised, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been pretty quiet..." He said, eyeing the redhead worriedly.

"I'm fine... but..." Quinn hesitated, her hand gently cupping the sore spot on Taylors jaw,as she gazed up at him sadly. "I wish I could have done more... Back there." She said, tipping her head back down the road in the direction they'd come from. "I wish I wasn't so weak..." She said, tears welling up in her eyes as her voice shrunk to a tormented squeak.

"Hey, hey, little miss badass..." Taylor said softly, brushing her hand from his cheek gently and drawing her into his arms. "Its okay; seriously, you were anything but weak. I mean, did you _hear_ the way you yelled at Craig back there?!" He huffed, rolling his eyes as Quinn buried her face in his chest. "Violence doesn't make you brave, Quinn... You though, you stood up for me even when I was down. And don't forget; you're only gonna get stronger physically now too... Not, that you have to prove anything to anyone. Least of all, jerks like those idiots..." He said, smiling as Quinn finally pulled free of his chest to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. "Oh man, there better be no tears on this top missy, else I am gonna flip my shi-"

"Shut up, Taylor..." Quinn mumbled, chuckling weakly as she drew in a deep breath, and slowly broke out in a small but radiant smile. "And, thankyou."

"Anytime, beautiful." He said warmly, hugging her tightly again, before jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Sure you don't wanna come in for a bit? Your parents could come pick you up..?" He asked, though Quinn was already stepping back before he had finished.

"I best get back, face the music and all." She sighed, smiling as she looked up at the sky. "Hopefully, I can get my parents to remember that they love each other now... Maybe, they can start over...." She said, clasping her arms behind her back as she grinned at Taylor.

"Sounds like they have an excellent matchmaker to help them on their way." He said, smiling back as he raised a hand and backed away slowly. Quinn giggled, waving back before continuing down the road. He watched her go, before turning and heading up the drive to his house. As he crossed the yard however, something caught his eye. _"Whoa..._ Why is the shed door open?" He demanded, replaying the previous night in his head quickly, just to be certain he hadn't left it open upon his return home.

Cautiously, he head toward the open shed door and peeked around the corner, but he could see nothing inside except for the barbed wire bat he'd made. "Hey, Candy!" He scolded irritably, huffing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Quit leaving the door open!" He demanded, rolling his eyes as his bat remained stoically silent. "... I really need to stop talking to inanimate objects. _And_ myself. Oh god, please don't ever let Jake see me doing this kind of thing..." He groaned, his cheeks immediately flaming in embarrassment. 

"Oh, I almost forgot..." He gasped suddenly, taking the files from the library out of his bag and stepping into the shed to stash them in the filing cabinet. _"There._ They should be nice and safe here." He hummed happily, reaching for the handle to shut the drawer when he froze instead, upon hearing a scuffling noise, coming from outside.

 _There's something behind the shed_..! He thought, his mind instantly conjuring pictures of the strange bone and vine creatures he'd encountered the night before. He swallowed heavily as he heard sniffing, huffing breaths, and claws testing the walls. _Shit, the door! I left it wide open_! He thought, his palms sweating as he felt every hair on his body stand on end.

He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he reached for Candy. His fingers curled reassuringly around the handle, when he was suddenly startled by a small blue blur landing in the shed doorway. _"Mmrph!"_  

 _"Furball?!"_ Taylor yelped, releasing Candy and staggering back against the wall to sink to the floor, as the small blue fox bounded through the doorway excitedly; clambering up to lick his face. "Urgh, it was _you_ who pushed the door open before!" He realised, scowling down at the oblivious and unrepentant animal. "Ooh, you... _Bad_ magic ice fox! You scared the crap outta me!"

 _"Mmrm?"_ Furball yipped, his head cocking as he perked his ears curiously, finally noticing Taylors frustration, as Lila poked her head around the door.

"Oh gee, Furball!" She huffed, frowning at the small animal as he wagged his bushy tail and butted his head to Taylors chin affectionately. "How many times have I got to tell you to stay out of the neighbours shed, you little _monst-"_ Lila trailed off suddenly, her eyes widening as she saw what Furball was up to. "Oh, Taylor! What are you doing down there on the floor?" She asked, giggling as she strolled forward and offered him a hand. "Everything okay?" She asked cheerfully, her scolding of the small fox forgotten.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he petted Furball behind the ears for a moment."I, uh, I thought Furball was a... uh, bear." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as he reached up to accept Lila's strangely firm, strong gripped hand.

"Heehee, sorry about that." She giggled, tugging Taylor to his feet before scratching the back of her neck guiltily. "I swear, I don't know _why_ he's so obsessed with getting in here!"

"'Cause its mine and he loves me mostest..." Taylor said in a babyish coo, grinning as Furball jumped up to his shoulders and rubbed himself against Taylors cheek affectionately. _"Pfft,_ suck up... You're not fooling me. I know why you really wanna get in here." He snorted, shaking his head as he ruffled Furball's fur and smirked. "This stupid shed is falling apart," he said to Lila, looking around the shed at the various holes and cracks in emphasis. "So, we get a lot of animals inside. Raccoons, squirrels... its practically a zoo in here."

"Heehee..." Lila laughed, before clicking her fingers suddenly. "Ah, you just reminded me... If you're looking for another exhibit, I wanted to ask... How would you feel about watching Furball for awhile? You'd be doing me a _huge_ favour..." She said, frowning at the little blue fox perched on Taylors shoulders.

"Are you going somewhere?" Taylor asked, his brows rising in surprise as Lila nodded sadly.

"Yeah, I've gotta head out of town for about a month to visit my mom." Lila said, grimacing st the thought. "I'd be worried if I thought he went back into the wild after being so pampered... He's real well behaved, as you know. And if you don't want him in the house while you're at school, I could set up a little bed in here for him... Plus he can still get into mischief outside." She said brightly.

"Hmm, it might be nice to have my own little magic ice fox for awhile..." Taylor hummed, scratching the small animals large ear gently. "Well, it's not like he's not over mine a bunch of the time anyway..." He admitted with a fond huff, smiling as Furball yipped and playfully swatted at his fingers with his tiny paws.

"Great!" Lila cheered, a jubilant smole spreading over her face. "Hear that, Furball? You're gonna stay with Taylor for awhile, _officially_ that is... How's that sound?" 

 _"Mrmmhmm!"_ Furball purred, nuzzling at Taylors jaw softly, as Taylor laughed quietly and petted his cool blue fur.

"I'll bring the food I give him over before I take off in the morning." Lila said happily, beaming at Taylor as she stepped back towards the door. "Thanks again!"

"Oh, it is _all_ my pleasure." Taylor said, grinning as he walked up to the house with Furball on his shoulder. He waved goodbye to Lila, before heading inside, setting the little fox down once he reached his bedroom. "Hm... you might end up getting bored in here full time, you know..." He said, frowning thoughtfully as he considered having Furball live with him full time. "I wonder..." He murmured, glancing to the clock briefly. _Sean and his mom used to have a dog... Maybe he'd let me have some of their old things_..? He wondered, narrowing his eyes as he realised his friend still had another hour of basketball practice. "Hmm..." He hummed, pulling out his phone and glancing at Furball with a raised brow. "Well, what do you say? Its gonna be _you_ benefits most..."

 _"Mmrph!"_ Furball yipped excitedly, chasing his tail in a circle, before crouching on his front paws and waggling his tail behind him, ready to pounce any second.

"Okay then..." Taylor snorted, dialing the number of a cab. "But you better keep the damn dirt monsters outta my room at night..." He muttered, as he booked a cab and gathered his things together. By the time he'd grabbed everything and prepared some vegetables for steaming when he got back home, the cab had arrived, and he left Furball with firm instructions to guard the house.

He smirked all the way back to school, shaking his head in amusement as he considered the little fox actually doing as he had been told. He paid and exited the cab, before strolling back into the school and slipping unnoticed into the gym. Immediately, his heart sank, as he saw two familiar figures running passing drills. Again. "Oh, boy..." He sighed, creeping through the bleachers to sit as close as he was able. _"Psst,_ hey guys..." He whispered, the pair turning to him in surprise.

"Taylor?" Sean asked, blinking briefly before shaking his head and breaking out in a small, tired smile. "Man, what are _you_ doing here? Miss me that much, or just here to ogle the muscle brigade?" He asked, raising a brow in curiosity.

 _"Pfft,_ you know me; where there be scantily clad guys, I... will also be." Taylor said awkwardly, feeling his cheeks heat faintly as Sean snorted in amusement. "Shut up, okay? It sounded totally awesome in my head, it just... came out _different."_ He huffed, scowling at his friend as Sean tried not to laugh. "Anyway, you guys okay?" He asked, wincing as Sean's amusement instantly disappeared, his teammate grimacing as he spread his palms.

"He's been a little distracted, but he won't tell me why." Tom sighed, glancing at Taylor as his expression morphed into one of sympathy. "What, is it this thing with Diego Soto? You guys-"

"Diego's my best friend, yeah." Taylor said quietly, looking down at his feet as he thought of his still unconscious friend. "But if Sean's distracted, I'm pretty sure the reason is more _immediate."_ He said pointedly.

"Man, how can you know me so we-" Sean broke off, upon glancing st Taylor again, his eyes widening as Taylor looked down at his clothes self-consciously, making sure he was dressed and not in some personal nightmare. "Dude, what happened to your _jaw?!"_

"Huh?" Taylor wondered aloud, reaching up to his jaw and wincing as he encountered the sore area where Craig had socked him hard. "Oh... Uh, minor disagreement with a uh... human bear?"

"Huma-" Sean began, his brow creasing im confusion, before it crumpled in realisation. "Oh man... Are you okay?" He sighed, his eyes filled with apology as he looked at Taylor, who smiled and shrugged dismissively.

"Does it make me look badass?" He asked, trying to lighten his friends mood. "I gotta know how to sell it, should I meet any hot guys who might be curious about it..." He said, snickering as Sean rolled his eyes. "Come on then, Gayle. Spill time. What's eating you? 'Cause it's clearly not in the good way..." He added with a wink.

Sean huffed a half exasperated laugh, running a hand over his short hair briefly as he looked around the hall. "It's..." He paused, swallowing as words failed him. He sighed and nodded up court, where the team captain and the other players were running shooting drills. 

Taylor waited patiently, watching his friends jaw slowly clench tighter as his eyes followed the other players loathingly. "Why don't they let us practice shooting?" He finally demanded, scowling darkly as his frustration finally broke free as Taylor had known it would. "Small forward is my best position."

"You know why." Tom said quietly, shaking his head at his friend and teammates outrage. "Because they have no plans to sub either of us during the game."

"What?" Taylor asked, his eyes widening in surprised realisation, as Sean glared at the far wall mutinously. "You mean _ever? Why?!"_ Tom shrugged jadedly, while Sean continued to fume silently, but his eyes spoke volumes behind his goggles. "Oh my god... You can't be serious. What is this, the fifties? I mean _geez,_ I knew that guy was an asshole but-"

"Look," Tom said, walking over to sit beside Taylor with a reluctant sigh. "Sean only made the team this year, switching from football to basketball; which was good for earning the game some interest, though its faded again since he never actually plays." He explained, shaking his head as he threw a brief glare to the opposite end of the court. "But I've been playing with these guys since junior high... and its the same crap, _every_ year." He sighed, as Taylor tried to work his way through the information.

"But, the NBA has tons of non-white players!" He began, frowning toward the fae end of the court. "How can they think they'll get away with this?"

"Well, those NBA guys still have to deal with racist crap too..." Rom said quietly, as Sean dribbled a ball around their section of the court thoughtfully. "People yelling slurs during games, teammates not passing to them..."

"So in other words, you guys are gonna be effectively benched for the rest of your school lives?" Taylor guessed, scowling at the team captain as he gripped the edge of the bleachers either side of his legs.

Sean grumbled something unintelligible to himself, passing the ball to Tom as he ran a hand over his hair and down the back of his neck. "I don't care too much about it all, to be honest. I mean, I like to play yeah, but... There's more important things, you know?"

"Yeah, but..." Taylor said, glancing between Sean and Tom with a small, sad frown creasing his brow. "Why even let you guys be on the team, if they had no intention of letting you play?" He demanded hotly, grimacing when Tom rolled his eyes and patted him on the shoulder as he got back to his feet.

"Look... people _suck."_ He said simply, passing the ball to Sean only to have it quickly returned again. "If it isn't _these_ jerks, its people like my first girlfriend, who wouldn't stop calling me 'sempai'." He scoffed, as Taylor felt his irritation swell.

"Urgh. People really _do_ suck." He growled, his hand unconsciously rising to his jaw, as he narrowed his eyes. "So, why even bother?"

Tom smiled, tossing the ball back to Sean. "Because we're not quitters." He said simply, as Sean flashed him a grateful look.

"Yeah..." He sighed, a small smile spreading across his face as Taylor shook his head at the pair. Sean tossed the ball back again lazily, but his pass was off, and it instead sailed over Tom's shoulder. 

"Whoops!" Tom huffed, his eyes widening in surprise as he turned to look over his shoulder. "I'll get it." He said, trotting off after the ball, as Taylor and Sean's gaze drifted back towards the other end of the court. Taylor frowned as he looked between his friend and the rest of the team, a nip of foreboding in his gut at the look of irritation which suffused his friends eyes.

For the remainder of the practice, he sat in quiet contemplation, watching his friend move about the court with surprising nimbleness, considering the heavy contact sport he used to play. By the time Sean and Tom had disappeared to go change, he'd come to a decision from his brooding. He waited outside the exit to the gym, and caught the team captain on his way out. "Hey, asshole." He said, jerking his chin at the surprised brunette.

"Urgh, what the hell do _you_ want?" He asked, scowling when he caught sight of Taylor leaning against the wall. "And my name is Ben, _queerboy,_ show some manners at least." He sneered, as Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please no... Not name calling! You'll hurt my delicate little feelings." He snarked, holding his hands over his chest dramatically, as he snorted and pushed away from the wall, approaching the team captain slowly. "I've heard _way_ worse, from _much_ bigger assholes than _you."_ He said, rolling his eyes again. My parents, included. He thought dryly, before quickly banishing the thought. "Look, you need to stop being such a racist prick and let Tom and Sean play in the game. They're good players, and they might actually be able to help you win for once." He said, trailing behind the team captain as he turned away and began walking around to the rear parking lot. "Sean's best position is small forward, you _have_ to know that, so why not-"

"Hey, if he wants to play more, he should try talking to the Coach." Ben said dismissively, glancing at Taylor with a grimace. "Not send his little _fairy friend_ to beg _me_ for table scraps."

"Sean didn't ask me to do anything, he doesn't know I'm talking to you." Taylor said, huffing in frustration from having to deal with such a creep. "He won't talk to the coach because he doesn't want to sound like he's whining, he's too proud to ask anyone else for help-"

"Wait, so he has no idea you're here, right now?' Ben asked, coming to a stop and turning to Taylor in surprise. "Wow, what, are you just, trying to get in his pants here, or what?" 

"What?" Taylor scoffed, scowling at the other boy in irritation. "No. I'm trying to help my friend because he damn well deserves to be treated better, but he has an asshole for a team captain." He grit out, his hands curling into fists. "Seeing as that's _you,_ you should be able to help him out. For the good of the team, at least."

"I warned you to show some damn manners," ben growled, dropping his bags and taking a menacing step forward, while Taylor glared at him and refused to move. "See, your buddy Sean, he knows his place; and its on the bench." He sneered, smirking as he stalked closer to Taylor, who stubbornly held his ground despite the tingle of sweet he felt on the back of his neck.

"That's bullshit." He scoffed, his eyes narrowing at the other boy hatefully as he looked over him.

"Yep," Ben said, winking gleefully as Taylor glared up at him. "But see, _I'm_ team captain. So, I can pretty much do what I like. I could even kick your buddy right off the team, if I wanted to... And after all the shit you've just given me, that looks a mighty fine idea right about now."

Taylors mouth went dry, panic flaring in his heart briefly, before he forced it away, reminding himself that the captains threat was empty; as he had no genuine reason to kick Sean off the team. "You're really that scared he'll look better than you out there, huh?" Taylor said, forcing a smirk to his face as he gazed up at the team captain hatefully.

"Wow, you _really_ like to push things, huh?" Ben said, laughing and shaking his head. He paused for a moment, before his fist suddenly slammed into Taylors gut, forcing him back a step in surprise.

 _"Oof!"_ He huffed, bending slightly from the pain, though he kept his glare on the other boys friendly, smiling face.

 _"Taylor!"_ Sean's voice called across the parking lot, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Ben, what the _hell?"_ He demanded, after checking Taylor was okay, stepping between them with a frown. "What's even going on out here?"

"Your little homo pal was being a cocky little shit, so I gave him what he needed to take him down a few pegs." The team captain sneered, watching Taylor with a smirk, as he pushed to his feet. "He's been telling me how I should be leading the team, but see, I'm already doing my part. I'm nice to you, I set an example for the guys. But..."

"But _what?"_ Sean demanded, his hands balling at his side, as he glanced at Taylor with a frown, who shrugged guiltily in response.

Ben theatrically cleared his throat, sneering at both Sean and Taylor. "You're an affirmative action hire, _bro."_ He said, his expression slowly morphing into a hateful scowl.

"I..." Sean began, pausing in his shock as his eyes widened. "That..." He tried again, only for words to once more fail him. Taylor felt his heart pound furiously, his stomach clenching as a fiery rage pounded within him.

"The _only_ reason you're on the team with us," Ben continued, folding his arms over his chest imperiously. "Is because it looks good for photos. I mean, come on... You're a football star, son of the great Marcus Gayle. Everyone knows it, even if you _have_ decided to piss on your own game."

"You asshole..." Taylor snarled, scowling as Sean swallowed heavily, even taking a surprised step back at the mention of his father. "You're just an insecure little prick, you don't know _anything_ abou-"

"Oh dear, such a mouth your little buddy has on him, Sean." Ben tutted, shaking his head sadly. "Guess that's what you get for being such a little cocksucker."

"Leave him alone." Sean said firmly, his gaze hardening as he glared at Ben. "Taylors worth more than you'll ever be."

"Ha, as if that little waster will ever be worth anything." Ben sneered, his nasty gaze cutting right through Taylor as he continued. "Even his own _parents_ can't stand him."

Taylors heart froze, his blood rushing in his ears as he stared at the other boy in horror, the team captain smirking at his obvious pain gleefully. "You know what? If you _really_ wanna help out the team as you're little cockwhore friend seems to think, why don't you do us a huge favour?" He said, stepping closer to Sean and chuckling menacingly. _"Quit."_ He said, turning his back and walking away to collect his things.

Taylor stared vacantly at his turned back, his thoughts lost in a sea of callous names and memories of his parents, their cold indifference to him only growing as the years continued to pass them by. He felt tears in his eyes, heard Sean's growling defense of him, as Tom came up behind him; but he couldn't bring himself to respond to any of it. "Wow, Taylor..." Tom said quietly, exchanging a worried glance with Sean. "I'm sorry, man... Ben has no right to talk to you that way."

"Damn right he doesn't. He's just an egg sucking asshole, he doesn't know shit, Taylor." Sean snarled, as Taylor felt himself slowly crouch and drop to his ass, staring ahead of himself passively as the thought circled in his mind; _Someone knows_.

"Knows _what,_ Taylor?" Sean asked, crouching before him and forcing him to meet his worried gaze. Taylor blinked, realising he'd been muttering to himself unconsciously. He shook his head mutely, drawing in a deep, shaky breath; his emotions too raw and vulnerable, as Sean's gaze hardened.

The sports star pushed to his feet and turned to head after Ben, glaring at him hatefully for the obvious pain he'd inflicted upon his friend. "Sean, wait!" Tom called, hesitant to follow as he glanced worriedly at Taylor on the floor. "What are you gonna _do?!"_

"I'm gonna _kick his ass_!" Sean growled back to him, breaking into a run as he rounded the corner and followed after Ben.

"Oh, crap..." Tom muttered, crouching down and grabbing Taylor by the shoulders, shaking him firmly to get his attention. "Okay, I really need you to get up now, okay? Come on..." He said, pulling Taylor to his feet, and dragging him toward the rear parking lot by his hand. "We gotta stop Sean, okay?"

"Hey, _bro!"_ They heard Sean roar, rounding the corner to see the sports star just raising his fist, before realising that Ben was paralyzed in terror; staring at a dark, shaggy mass which was bearing down upon him.

"Sean!" Taylor cried, snapped out of his inner turmoil by the threat to his friend. He moved to surge forward, but Tom gripped his hand tightly, holding him back. "No! Let me g-!"

"Sean!" Another voice yelled, before a large form collided with the sports star, knocking him away from Ben and the approaching bear.

"Holy fu-" Ben began, as the best lunged at him, yanking him off his feet and dragging him across the ground. "Aaah! _Aaaah! Help me!"_ He cried, as the bear roared and rolled Ben over; hard.

Taylor flinched as he heard something in the team captains arm separate with a sickening pop. _"Aaaah!"_ The bear opened its great jaws, thick saliva dribbling onto Ben's jersey as it panted and heaved above him.

"Hey!" Taylor cried, ripping himself free of Tom's grasp and racing forward before anyone could stop him, waving his arms frantically. "Go away! Leave him alone!" He yelled, as Sean and Tom yelled for him to get away from the hulking brute.

The best paused, releasing Ben and backing away slightly; sniffing at Taylor curiously, as he came to stand over Ben determinedly. After a moment, the bear looked around, huffing as if coming out of a daze. "... _Whoa there..."_ Taylor said more calmly, raising his palms in placation, his heart thundering in his chest. The bear glanced at him again, glossy eyed, before turning and wandering off into the woods; just as Tom caught up to Taylor and yanked him backwards.

 _"Holy shit,_ man! You're one crazy bastard, you know that?!" He cried, his eyes wide behind his goggles, as he shook his head in disbelief.

Taylor exhaled heavily, shuddering at his own recklessness. He glanced down at Ben, who was staring at him in disbelief. His gaze hardened, a sneer twisting his face. "Now you owe your pathetic life, to a waster fairy." He said, turning his back on the team captain before he could respond. "Tom... go get help." He murmured quietly to the other boy, who nodded, before his shoes scuffled against the asphalt; as he stumbled back, and took off running. 

Taylor moved over to Sean, offering a hand to help him to his feet, before looking down in surprise at the other body beside him. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" He asked, his brows raising as Craig pushed to his feet slowly.

"Shit man, that was bad _ass,_ bro!" The jock cried, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor, as if seeing him for the first time. Taylor rolled his eyes and ignored him, deciding to wait until the jocks obvious shock had faded before asking again.

Taylor glanced at Sean, their eyes meeting, before they both glanced over their shoulder to the woods where the bear had disappeared. "Well..." Taylor said, swallowing heavily as he looked down at the whimpering team captain, his arm lying useless by his side. He slowly raised his gaze back to Sean, their eyes locking as they traded an unspoken understanding. "Looks like the position of small forward just opened up..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an unrelated curiosity; would anyone be interested in an Endless Summer/Supernatural crossover..? Normally i dont do crossovers, dont even read them because i am REALLY finicky about keeping the boundaries between my fandoms firnly locked into place... but, theres this idea, see?
> 
> Heh... 
> 
> Course if nobodys interested i can just let it go... :p
> 
> x My love to you all x


	7. Buckle Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh i am so giddy about this chapter... like, not playing the diamond option makes it a totally new experience this time in places... course, ive used 200 in 5 chapters already so... might have to slow down a little XD
> 
> that said - IM SO EXCITED TO KEEP GOING. Im loving this, its so DIFFERENT for the ES gang to have such apooky roles and stuff and oh gosh its so fun to try and keep them THEM but makw them shiny and new too...  
> (Though i need you guys to let me know how im doing with that :p)
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this!
> 
> x My love to you all x

**7.**

**Buckle Up**.

Taylors footsteps echoed past an open classroom door, as he wandered down the halls before school, his mind lost to thoughts of the previous evening _. I should have just stayed home, then none of it would have happened_... He thought guiltily, sighing as he distractedly tugged at his short, spiky red hair. _If I hadn't started mouthing off, Ben wouldn't have got hurt_... He thought, shaking his head in mounting frustration. _Although, if I hadn't, and he had gone straight to his car, then maybe nobody would have been around to help... Oh god, I can't_ \- Taylor huffed in irritation, his mind circling once again in its endless argument with itself. "I _hate_ my head."

"Still talking to yourself, I see?" Sneered a stern voice behind him, and Taylor yelped as he spun around, exhaling heavily in relief as he realised it was Aleister stood behind him. "Good to know that even a small dose of heroism, isn't about to go to _your_ head... as it were." The pale boy chuckled, his piercing gaze running over Taylor in what he almost thought looked like concern. "What brings you here at such an hour?"

"Huh? Oh..." Taylor grimaced, shaking his head to clear out his endlessly looping thoughts as best he could. "I was going crazy at home, just... constantly thinking about it, you know? Needed a change of scenery so I can... apparently think about it all some more." He sighed scathingly, shaking his head in frustration.

"You saved someone's life last night, Taylor." Aleister said, his brow rising in curiosity as Taylor grimaced and averted his deep blue eyes. "You should not be reprimanding yourself for that."

"That kinda depends on the circumstances..." Taylor muttered, glancing up at Aleister reluctantly. "What if I told you I was pretty sure what happened _wasn't_ a freak accident, but actually to do with-"

"Please, do not begin prattling about that nonsense game we played in the woods as children." Aleister drawled, his expression hardening as he frowned down at Taylor. "It is far too early in the morning, for such drivel and-"

"Mr. Rourke?" A voice called from the open classroom, cutting Aleister off as the sound of a chair rolling on the floor briefly, was quickly followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Aleister glared at Taylor, shoving him out of sight around the corner, before turning back just in time to see Mrs. Montoya poke her head through her door. "You're here early. Did I hear you talking to someone?"

"Ah. Good morning, Mrs. Montoya, and yes, it was a phone call from my aunt Iris." Aleister said stiffly, dipping his head in respectful acknowledgement. "She is very dedicated to my education, as I am sure you've heard. Principal Hall asked me to record a P.A. message about the bear attack." 

Taylor held his breath, frowning I confusion as to why Aleister had hidden him, but obediently trying to keep quiet. The silence between the two in the hallway stretched for an uncomfortable length of time, as Taylor hovered against the wall, fidgeting as quietly as he could.

"Is there something I may help you with, or may I continue?" Aleister finally drawled, his tone crisp and clear in the otherwise silent hall, pointedly clearing his throat as he awaited an answer.

Taylor desperately fought the urge to look down around the corner, instead leaning his head to the wall as Mrs. Montoya's heels could be heard tapping quietly against the floor, the pattern of thoughtful consideration.

"As a matter of fact, yes. There _is."_ She said, the sound of her heels retreating back down the hall. "Please, step inside." She called, as Taylor's breath caught, his heart pounding as he heard Aleister hesitate only a moment, before following her dutifully.

As Taylor heard the door to Mrs. Montoya's classroom close, he peeked around the corner, his brow deeply furrowing in mounting concern for his friend. _This is not normal, very not normal. Oh god, why can nobody have anything normal going on? Why do I always have to be around when things are so weird_? His mind ranted at him, as he tried to sift through his strained emotions. _Is he okay? Should I wait? Should I go? Dammit, what the hell_? He swallowed nervously, as he crept back around the corner and bit his lip indecisively, before slowly inching closer to the classroom door.

"Have you thought about what I said on Monday?" Mrs. Montoya asked, her voice faintly muffled but understandable, as Taylor leaned as close to the door as he dared.

"You mean about my having extracurricular activities?" Aleister asked in a bored tone of voice, as Taylor briefly peeked through the glass to catch a glimpse his friends stuff back, and Mrs. Montoya walking away towards her desk.

"Aleister, come now." Mrs. Montoya scolded, her tone irritated as Taylor quickly drew back, not wanting to be spotted so close and quite obviously eavesdropping. He bit his lip, his heart hammering in his chest as he heard Mrs. Montoya's chair roll across the floor. "You know it's not about you _having_ extracurricular activities, its about the _amount."_

"Mrs. Montoya, I thank you _again_ for your concern, but I assure you it is entirely unnecessary." Aleister sneered, as Taylor was struck by a sudden brainwave. He dug a small mirror from the side of his bag, and aimed it discreetly around the corner, his heart racing as he felt a very super spy-ish thrill pass over him as a shiver. He saw Aleister shaking his head, and trying to back away to the door. "I'm _fine."_ The pale boy sniffed, his gaze still locked forward despite his stepping closer to the door. "I managed perfectly fine with just as much last year, and my grades never once slipped or-"

"That's just it. Your grades are _fantastic._ You show up to class early, you turn in every assignment on time..." Mrs. Montoya interrupted, and Taylor frowned in confusion, wondering why Aleister being a good student would warrant such hostile behaviour from a teacher. "You do extra credit, you tutor, you ace every essay and exam, and _all_ of that _on top_ of tour student council duties-"

"Are you implying I'm _too_ good a student?" Aleister demanded, sounding equal parts confused and amused by the teachers glowing reference to his impeccable record.

"What _concerns_ me," Mrs. Montoya continued, as Taylor tipped his mirror slightly to catch sight of her pinching the bridge of her nose. "Is the recent change in your behaviour."

"Nonsense, my behaviour is the same as it has ever been." Aleister said dismissively, his irritation plain from his tone of voice. Taylor swallowed again, his mouth suddenly dry as he glanced down the hall, feeling as if he were somehow intruding on something far more personal than he'd first assumed. "I assure you, my only frustra-"

"Tell me," Mrs. Montoya interrupted, as Aleister's shoulders tensed in irritation. "Are you having trouble sleeping lately?" Taylor fought to keep from scoffing, his mind racing with memories of the past few nights. The unnerving texts from Diego, the conversation they'd had about rescuing him, actually rescuing him; and of course, the thing with the bear the previous evening.

 _If Aleister is having anything but trouble sleeping, then I'm gonna call him out as an unnatural automaton_. He thought, shaking his head a moment, before frowning, noticing that Aleister had turned unusually quiet and was shifting restlessly from foot to foot.

"Perhaps, feeling sudden bouts of anxiety?" Mrs. Montoya pressed on, her head dipping slightly as she tried to catch Aleister's gaze. Taylors pulse raced in his ears, concerned that another of his childhood friends seemed to be in trouble. " _Or unsteady hands_?" She asked pointedly, her eyes lowering suddenly. Taylor frowned, unable to adjust the angle of his mirror to show Aleister's hands, without revealing himself. However, from the way Aleister pointedly moved his arms behind his back, Taylor assumed there was a reason for the  teachers comment. He watched was Aleister determinedly kept his attention locked onto Mrs. Montoya's, his back rigid as he refused to look away from her gaze.

"I've seen this before." She said quietly, her gaze softening with sympathy, as Taylor shook his head and rolled his eyes; knowing she would only irk him further with such an emotional plea. "I've seen bright students, let their ambition out-space their available time and energy... And when those students find themselves overwhelmed, I've seem them turn to certain... _study aids."_ She said knowingly, as Taylors eyes widened at the implication.

 _Holy shit..._ He thought, blinking rapidly to try and make sense of what he was hearing. _Aleister..? Really..? No_... He thought, frowning as he shook his head. _She's gotta be wrong_. He thought firmly, though his certainty was shaken, when Aleister himself seemed lost for words.

"I..." The pale boy began, audibly swallowing loud enough that Taylor could hear it from where he hid in the hallway.

"Aleister, have you been taking anything to help yourself focus?" Mrs. Montoya demanded, a scowl lighting her face, as she stared hard at the clearly uncomfortable, pale boy before her. "Maybe, to get a bit of an edge over the other students?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Aleister sneered, apparently regaining his wits as he sniffed derisively at the teacher.

Taylor tensed, glancing down the hallway as the lights flickered, a sense of ominous foreboding in his gut as he looked back at his mirror to see Mrs. Montoya frowning at Aleister, while tapping her fingers atop her desk. "If that's the case," she said finally, her eyes narrowing slightly as she peered at Aleister intently. "You won't mind if I set a meeting with your aunt and the principal." She said, levelling him with a hard glare. "This is a _serious_ matter, Aleister. If we find evidence of wrongdoing, it may be grounds for suspension."

 _"Suspension?!"_ Aleister exclaimed, spluttering indignantly as he stared at Mrs. Montoya in disbelief. _"Preposterous!_ I cannot have such a permanent stain upon my record!" He insisted hotly.

Taylor watched in horror as Mrs. Montoya uncapped a pen, reaching for her desk drawer. "It will _all_ go on your record." She confirmed, throwing him a disapproving glare. _"Every detail._ For every university, and prospective employer to see... Though I suppose, being heir to the great _Rourke International,_ that doesn't really make a lot of impact to _you,_ does it?"

"My heritage and upbringing have nothing to do with our current situation." Aleister growled fiercely, his shoulders trembling in Taylors mirror. "If you were not so _adamant_ you were right, then perhaps we might be able to discuss it properly, rather than sling threats around like neanderthal buffoons."

Mrs. Montoya paused briefly, before shaking her head and looking at Aleister sadly, failing to take the bait. "I'm sorry, Aleister... But this is a necessary evil. Some day, you'll understand that I did this for your own good."

Taylor shook his head in disbelief as Mrs. Montoya stared at Aleister while opening her drawer, the pale boy seeming to stiffen suddenly. "Look out!" Aleister yelled abruptly, startling Taylor enough that he almost dropped his mirror.

"Hmm?" Mrs. Montoya hummed curiously, looking down at her desk drawer with a frown, only for her eyes to widen in fear; recoiling back as something lunged out from inside. _"Aaah!"_

"Oh my god-" Taylor gasped, turning the corner quickly as Mrs. Montoya tripped over her chair, tumbling and scrambling backwards, as it came for her.

"Get it _off_ me!" She screamed as Aleister moved to help her, trying to throw her chair aside as the hissing and slithering, snake struck, its bone white fangs bared. _"Aah-aaaaaah!"_

"Mrs. Montoya!" Aleister roared, finally picking the chair up and throwing it across the room, snatching a broom from the corner behind the teacher and swatting the snake clear across the classroom. "Get away from her, you vile serpent!" He snarled, moving toward the teacher worriedly. 

Taylor approached the door and flung it open, quickly striding through and approaching the desk. "Is she okay?" He asked, moving around the edge and closer to them.

"I'm just trying to find out, you idiot!" Aleister snarked, crouch beside the teacher and touching her shoulder gently. "Mrs. Montoya, are you okay?!" He demanded urgently, as she floundered on the floor.

".... bit me..." She gasped, her eyes wide as she stared up at Aleister in disbelief. "... bit me, my chest, I n-need a doctor..." She panted, as her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell unconscious.

A flicker of movement caught Taylors eye, and he turned to see the glistening body of the snake vanish through the open door. "Oh no! I have to go catch it!" He gasped, moving to follow it.

"No, Taylor, you need to go home. _Now."_ Aleister said quickly, his phone already in his hand and pressed to his shoulder as he glared at Taylor, who turned to him in shock. "You've been involved in enough police incidents already this week, if they arrive to find you here, they're going to begin suspecting you're involved." He insisted, pausing briefly to bark sharply into his phone, before hanging up. "Taylor, _go home._ Stay there an hour, or all day; I don't _care._ Just do not be present here when the police arrive, and do not speak to _anyone_ about this." He said, quickly jerking his head toward the door with a scowl. "Now _go_ already."

Taylor hesitated, worried for his friend, but Aleister's increasing scowl had him reluctantly turning and hurrying away, his mind racing so fast he barely noticed where he was going. It wasn't until he'd reached his own driveway, that he even had the willpower to conjure up a single coherent thought; _How the hell did that thing get into her desk_..? Silently answering his own question, when his eyes drifted over to the woods behind his home.

His attention was stolen suddenly, when he heard an odd sound coming from his shed, and he swallowed heavily, recalling the awful scene he'd just witnessed. "Furball..?" He called tentatively, licking his lips as he slowly approached the small, ramshackle building. "Is that you again, little buddy?" He asked hopefully, wishing he would receive a bark or yip in response. Instead he found himself cautiously creeping forward, pressing his ear against the door. A series of muffled rattles, squeaks and thumps came from inside. _"Please..._ just, be a rat or something and not a monster. Or a snake. Or... Actually, just be the wind or something..." He pleaded, his throat thick from the dense emotions he felt. He steeled himself, silently counting to three as he wrapped his hand around the handle, then shoved the door open quickly. " _Don't kill me_!" He yelped, cringing expectantly.

 _"Grakk!"_ Cawed a crow, as Taylor made a very undignified squeak, eternally pleased there was nobody present to hear him.

 _"Aaah!"_ He gasped, stopping in his tracks as he stared down at the angry little bundle of feathers on the work table. "Wait a second..." He huffed, his heart racing as he frowned and took a few steps closer; the tiny crow hopping backward, one of its wings dragging awkwardly.

 _"Awkk!"_ It grumbled pitifully, eyeing him almost guiltily as it shuffled about the work table, its beady eyes distrustful.

"Are you the crow Estela smacked?" He choked, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked around the shed. "How'd _you_ get in here?" He asked, slowly taking another step forward as he held out his hand.

The crow puffed up its feathers, glaring at Taylor suspiciously. "It's okay, little buddy." He said, smiling gently. He hummed thoughtfully, toying briefly with the idea of making bird like sounds, before deciding his quota for looking ridiculous had already been fulfilled that morning. Instead, he dug into his schoolbag and found a small bag of trail mix, raising it before him and jiggling it. "Hungry?" He asked, smiling when the crow seemed to perk slightly.

 _"Grawk!"_ It crowed, as Taylor opened the bag and tipped some of the trail mix into his hand, holding it out patiently. Cautiously, the bird hopped forward, and snatched a peanut out of his hand. _"Awk!"_ It cawed, cocking its head at Taylor as it ruffled its feathers. Finally, as if having finally made up its mind, it hopped forward into the palm of his hand.

"Oh yeah, Taylor the wild animal tamer." Taylor snickered, grinning fondly as he carefully reached up to stroke the birds sleek head. He heard a rustling, and turned to see Furball approaching curiously. "Hey Furball!" He said, gesturing to the bird in his hand. "Looks like we've got a new friend, huh?" He said, pausing to raise a brow at the fox. "No trying to eat him, okay?" He insisted, as Furball slowly padded closer to better examine the tiny ball of feathers in Taylors hands.

 _"Mrrm?"_ The little blue fox yipped quietly, turning his wide eyes towards Taylor, his large ears perked curiously.

"Careful, he's just a baby..." Taylor said gently, as Furball gently touched the baby crow with his snout, sniffing him with intense interest. The crow puffed up its feathers, pecking him on the nose.

 _"Grak!"_ It cawed, clearly disgruntled by the foxes avid interest in him.

 _"Mrmm!"_ Furball barked, hopping backwards and sneezing. Taylor laughed, ruffling his ears fondly with one hand, while gently brushing his thumb over the crows wing with his other.

"It's okay, he did the same thing to me the first time we met." He said, huffing when he realised it hadn't even been twenty four hours ago. "I'm sure he didn't mean it." He said, setting the crow down on the work table again, a small pile of trail mix at his feet.

He set about making a small nest for the bird, hoping to make him comfortable for the duration of his stay. Once he was finished, he set it on top of the dusty filing cabinet, and moved to carefully examine the small birds wing, before gently setting him in his new nest. "There we go..." He hummed, stroking the birds head gently. "You should be nice and safe up there." 

 _"Grack!"_ It crowed, besting its wings briefly, before seeming to settle down and begin making itself comfortable, its small head turning and cocking curiously as it examined its new home.

"I should _probably_ give you a name, huh?" Taylor said thoughtfully, frowning as he narrowed his eyes in contemplation. "How about... _Malatesta?"_ He asked, laughing as the crow shook its head quickly. "Okay, okay, how about Mal for short?" He chuckled.

 _"Kee!"_ The crow cawed, flapping it's wings lightly in what Taylor decided to assume was acceptance.

"You like it now, huh?" He cooed, laughing as the bird brushed its beak along his fingers. _"Good."_ He said, sighing as he glanced at his watch and realised he'd killed over an hour already, and should probably head back to school.

 _Oh god, I hope Mrs. Montoya and Aleister are okay... I really hope that snake didn't go back_. He thought, his heart heavy with guilt as he recalled everything he'd seen that morning. _And god, Aleister taking study aids? We're really gonna have to talk about that sometime_... He thought disconcertedly, sighing as he grabbed his bag and turned to leave, only to spot a crumpled piece of paper on the table, right where his new feathered friend, Mal had been sitting.

With a curious frown, Taylor moved back to the work table, picking up the old letter to examine. "Did _you_ bring this here, Mal?" He asked absently, glancing at the baby crow as it seemed to cackle in agreement, while smoothing out the crumpled paper. Once it was legible, he carefully began to read aloud. _"Dear E.B, I write to you from a car train bound over the Rockies, a feat of modernity so spectacular, I reel to conceive of it.._. Ha, oh man, I'd _love_ to see what this guy would make of mobile phones..." Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes at the long winded speech. 

 _"Alas, my mind is preoccupied by my destination, one... Westchester Oregon_!" Taylor gasped, bringing the paper closer to his face, as his hands began to tremble. "... _and the curious package that started me on this expedition, when it appeared in my university inbox; a photograph of dark trees... an inhuman silhouette... and five, hastily scribbled words_..." Taylor read, swallowing heavily as his eyes widened, his heart hammering as his throat constricted; his voice turning to a harsh whisper, as he strained ro continue speaking. " ** _It lives in the woods_**." He choked, pausing to try and recompose himself, calming his rapid breathing as best he could. " _The other faculty,"_ he continued in a rough croak, coughing to clear his throat as best he could. ". _.. and your father, think me mad to chase such nonsense. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps they've always been right. Or perhaps, this time I shall prove them all wrong... Goddard E. Filleus, September twenty ninth... Eighteen seventy one_." 

Taylor shivered, quickly pinning the letter to the back board of the work table, before wiping his hands on his trousers; shaking his head at the disquieting foreboding churning in his gut. "Eighteen seventy one..." He murmured again, frowning at the familiar sounding timeframe, as he glanced up the baby crow. "Where the _hell_ did you find this, Mal?"

 _"Awk?"_ The bird chittered, cocking its head at him curiously, before beginning to preen his feathers disinterestedly.

"Well," Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to absorb everything he'd seen and learnt over the morning so far. "I guess it'd be weirder if you _did_ answer." He huffed, scratching his cheek briefly and wincing as he caught his sore jaw, before finally shaking his head and swinging his bag a little higher on his shoulder. "Well, be good. I'll check on you after the game." He said, carefully scratching the birds head as he settled into his new nest happily. 

Taylor looked over at Furball, eyeing the bird with his head cocked curiously, his large ears perked as his tail slowly swished from side to side behind him. "No trying to eat Mal." He warned, laughing when Furball sniffed in obvious disgust and hopped down off the work table, stalking out of the shed with his tail in the air. Taylor smirked as he followed him out the shed, closing the door and crouching to pet the foxes ear briefly. _"You_ be good too. See you soon." He said, sighing as he pushed to his feet, and slowly began making his way back to school.

The day went surprisingly quickly, with little chance for him to speak to any of his friends, let alone Aleister; who was at least five times busier than anyone else. He was exhausted by the end of the school day, his nerves shot from constantly jumping any time someone called his name. Although there had been a very brief announcement about Mrs. Montoya, not much had really been revealed about what had happened. It had been mentioned that she had been injured, but that thanks to the help of their trusty class president, the teacher was in stable condition in the hospital. Estela was noticeably distracted throughout the day, and Taylor almost felt as though he wanted to console her, but he trampled the feeling quickly; her desire to be alone more than palpable in her behaviour, even going so far as to avoid Craig and Michelle.

Despite his exhaustion however, he joined the crowd after school, heading to watch their team play in the first basketball game of the season. He spotted Rebecca outside the front doors, with the rest of the cheer squad around her. "Hey, Becca!" He called, relieved to see a friendly face after such a long day.

"Hi, Taylor!" She called back, smiling as she slipped away to chat with him briefly. "Excited to watch the Westchester Wolves totally destroy the Anderton Cougars?" She asked, as Taylor huffed and winked at her.

"You know it!" He said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into his tired tone. His eyes flashed with amusement, as he nudged her playfully and lowered his voice. "But I'm more excited to watch _you."_

 _"Pftt,_ no ya not." She snorted, shoving him back with a grin. "If my brother were prancin' around, pullin' of incredible feats of acrobatics and lookin' super cute while doin' it however..." She said knowingly, raising a brow at his sheepish expression.

"Heard about that, did you?" He snickered, grinning as Rebecca rolled her eyes and playfully punched him in the arm with her pom pom. "Hey, you freakishly strong handed person, lay off the rest of us mere mortals!"

"Oh hush, ya big baby." She huffed, smirking at him fondly. "If it were anyone else keep flirtin' so determinedly with my brother, I'd have full on decked the cocky little fucker by now." 

"Well, he oughtta stop being so goddamn good looking and charming, then!" Taylor protested, snickering when Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Man, I thought it was the older sibling supposed to be all over protective..." He groused, grumbling to himself as Rebecca laughed quietly and shook her head at him. "So, miss overprotective cockblocker," he said, clearing his throat as he glanced around briefly. "Have you seen Sean at all today? How's he doing?"

"Based on his face durin' warm ups..?" She hummed thoughtfully, her lips twitching in amusement. "I'd say he's runnin' on, like, seventy percent excitement... and  thirty percent pure terror." She chuckled, covering her mouth as she glanced around the crowd guiltily.

"Damn..." Taylor sighed, clicking his tongue thoughtfully as he wrapped his arms around his torso. "He's probably feeling a lot of pressure right now, stepping in for Ben and all."

"Urgh, what happened to Ben was so _freaky."_ Rebecca said, shivering as she grimaced and cast the school grounds a distrustful glance. "How'd a bear just wander onto campus? And _you!"_ She said, her eyes widening suddenly as she jabbed him with her pom pom again.

"Uh, _ow..."_ Taylor complained, rubbing the abused spot on his arm as he pouted at her reproachfully. "What the _hell_ was that for?"

"Ya charged at a bear! Ya _idiot!"_ She cried, swatting at his shoulder again as Taylor winced and tried to dodge her. _"Ooh,_ wait til I tell my brother 'bout this! See how ya flirtin' goes then..." She threatened, though Taylor got no chance to protest as she gasped suddenly, her hand resting on his arm. "Oh my god, and did ya hear about Mrs. Montoya?"

"Uh, not... not _really,_ I mean, you know..." Taylor began, shifting awkwardly as he averted his gaze. "Everyone's been talking about it, so hard _not_ to hear but, I don't... I mean I didn't-" he babbled, feeling his cheeks turn warm as Rebecca's brow furrowed at him. "Oh, shit..." He muttered, as her expression darked, glancing around quickly before grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the crowds.

"What the _hell,_ Taylor?!" Rebecca demanded in a rough hiss, scowling at him suspiciously. "Spill, right now or I swear to all that is painful, I will _make_ you; right before I ruin _every_ chance you have with my goddamn brother!" She whispered furiously.

"Uh..." He hedged, shrinking beneath the fiery redheads hard glare. "I don't... really know anything, I just... was _here,_ briefly?" He muttered awkwardly, grimacing as he shuffled his foot guiltily.

"What, _when?"_ Rebecca frowned, before her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh my god, did you _see-?!"_

" _Shut up_!" He hissed, scowling as he looked around them, before hunching his shoulders and trying to make himself unnoticeable. "Look, I didn't see much, Aleister made me go home, he said it would look bad; given how I've been at so many weird scenes lately. He tried to help her, but by the time I got there... I don't think there was much anyone could've done at that point. It was _my_ fault the snake got away." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "They might have been able to do more, if I hadn't left the door open and let it-"

"Taylor, if it hadn't got away then Aleister might have been hurt too..." Rebecca said quickly, cutting off his guilt and frustration. "And who knows how long it might've taken for them to be found..?"

Taylor grimaced, looking up at her uncertainly. "... I don't think that it would have hurt Aleister." He finally admitted quietly, glancing away quickly as Rebecca bit her lip.

"You don't think..?" Rebecca began, glancing around before drawing them deeper into the shadows, away from the crowd. "I mean, could they be _related?"_ She whispered quickly, her grey eyes silently pleading for him to tell her she was wrong. "Like, what are the odds of _two_ crazy animal attacks happenin', within twenty four hours?"

 _"Technically..."_ Taylor hedged, scratching the back of his neck guiltily. "There were _three."_ He admitted, quickly telling Rebecca about the crows which had driven off Craig and Estela the day before. "But one of them is _super_ cute, and he's got this little nest... in my, uh, shed..." He concluded, trailing off as Rebecca stared at him, her brow furrowing.

"This _can't_ be a coincidence, right?" She finally sighed, looking up at him in reluctant resignation. "It's got to be Mr.-"

"Becca!" Michelle called, her hands on her hips as she raised a brow at her and Taylor, huddled close together and half obscured by shadows. "C'mon, the games about to start!"

"Oh, uh... I'll be there in just a minute!" She called, her eyes wide as she took a step back from Taylor.

"Okay..." Michelle drawled, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder with a too innocent smile which made Taylors hands curl into fists. "Be late if you want, but Coach Tanner told me to tell you that you're on _thin_ ice."

Michelle skipped away, as Taylor narrowed his eyes and scowled at her back, growling quietly in irritation. He looked back at Rebecca with a sigh, to find her staring after the blond, chewing anxiously at her lower lip. "It's okay." He said gently, nudging her toward the cheerleading team. "We can talk tomorrow." He assured fondly, nudging her forward again. With a grateful nod and a relieved smile, Rebecca hurried toward the gym. Taylor began to follow her, when a strong hand clamped down on each of his shoulders.

"Hey, Taylor, long time no see." Estela said lowly in his ear, causing an unpleasant shiver to travel up his spine.

"Not long enough..." He muttered, trying to jerk his shoulders free as he half turned to scowl distrustfully between Craig and Estela.

"Aww, c'mon bro!" Craig huffed, grinning as he stepped back with his palms raised in placation. "We _missed_ you." He said, his eyes flashing with hatred, as he pointedly showed off the dark scratches which covered his arms and face.

"H-hey! Let go!" Taylor yelped, struggling against Estela's grip on his shoulders. He glanced at the dark haired girl, the scar across her eye seeming ominously more prominent as she glared at him with fury burning in her dark eyes.

"Craig, go ahead. Taylor and I are gonna have a little catch up." She said quietly, as Taylor swallowed and felt himself fall into her intense glare.

"But we were gonna talk about what he did to my _car!"_ Craig protested, looking over at Estela in frustration, as her gripped tightened painfully on Taylors shoulders, causing his stomach to fill with dread.

"I don't know what to say, I guess those birds just didn't appreciate your tacky hunk of junk on wheels." Taylor said, half hoping to goad Craig into a fight; anything to avoid the intense grip and gaze of the dark haired girl before him.

"Hey-" Craig began, moving toward him with a scowl beginning to furrow his brows.

 _"Craig!"_ Estela barked, turning her glare on him as her grip on Taylors shoulders grew tight enough to make him whimper. Craig paused, meeting Estela's gaze before drawing back a few steps, throwing Taylor a mutinous glare before turning away to deter other students from approaching.

"Now," Estela said quietly. "Why don't you tell me what you saw this morning?" She demanded, her hard gaze meeting his deep blue eyes knowingly.

 _Oh, shit_... Taylor thought, grimacing as he stubbornly bit his lip. _What can I say? If she heard me already.._. He cleared his throw suddenly, wincing as Estela squeezed his shoulders warningly. "Alright, _alright,_ already!" He said, raising his hands awkwardly to show his surrender. "Look, I didn't see anything! Okay? I was out in the hall, and the door was closed. I rushed to help as soon as Aleister tried to warn her, but... It struck so fast. It was like, it was _possessed_ or something; entirely intent on-"

"What else did you see?" Estrla demanded, shoving Taylor against the wall as she scowled, narrowing her eyes accusingly. "There must have been _something_ else, tell me what you saw! _Tell me what he did to her!_ " She fumed furiously, as Taylors brows rose in shock.

 _"What?!_ No! Nothing!" He protested, shaking his head urgently as hebswueezed her hands to try and make him release her. "I swear, he didn't! Aleister only tried to help, _honestly,_ if he hadn't been there-"

"What?" Estela growled, her brows furrowing as Taylors babbling paused briefly, as he frantically looked around for help, but found only Craig watching them; until something caught his eyes behind the jock. 

The idea struck hard and sudden, and Taylor forced a cocky smirk to his face as he raised his eyes over their shoulders. "Check out all those _crows!"_ He said, causing Craig's eyes to widen, as he spun to look around desperately. Taylors grin widened, as he nodded toward a nearby tree, which was dotted with dozens of feathered black silhouettes. "Kinda creepy, right? It's like they're _watching us."_ He said pointedly, as Craig began to scratch nervously at the claw marks which marred the back of his hands.

Estela narrowed her eyes at Taylor, utterly unmoved by the crows or Craig's sudden desire to move away somewhere that wasn't where they were. He swallowed heavily, meeting her dark gaze for a pregnant pause, before she roughly shoved him against the wall again; making him wince and hiss in pain, before releasing him. "You're an _idiot."_ She said derisively, her eyes raking over him briefly, before she shook her head and stalked away with Craig right behind her. In his rush, the jock almost crashed into Jake, as he walked over from the parking lot.

 _"Whoa,"_ the pilot huffed, skillfully dodging the large boy, as he frowned after them. "Where're those two headin' in such a damn hurry?" He asked, turning to see Taylor sagging against the wall, a relieved chuckle escaping him.

"Who cares, as long as it's away from _here?"_ He chuckled, a faraway grin lighting his face as his relief over the bullies hasty retreat, left him feeling light and giddy.

"Huh, I'm sensin' ya ain't exactly friends..." Jake said, his brow creasing as he ran his eyes over Taylor, locking onto the bruise on his jaw. 

"Wow, what gave it away?" Taylor snickered, grinning wider as Jake moved toward him, his stomach clenching for reasons entirely unrelated to his previous fear and dread.

"Seein' ya pinned like that kinda had me wonderin', Boy Scout." Jake snorted, raising a brow when Taylor huffed and rolled his eyes. "But, uh, clearly ya don't need _my_ help, so..." He said, clearing his throat as he finally stepped up beside Taylor.

"Oh, I don't know about _that,_ Top Gun." Taylor snickered, holding out his hand. After a brief pause where Jake merely stared at the offered appendage, he huffed and rolled his eyes, pulling Taylor away from the wall. The pilot smirked as he released him, not noticing Taylors suddenly two shades darker, burning hot cheeks; or the smug grin he wore, as the two of them walked through the doors to the gym together.

Taylor felt his fingers twitch at his side, though he couldn't tell if it was from excitement or nervousness, as he and Jake found themselves seats among the crowd of rowdy Westchester High fans. "So, what happened to Big Guy and Katniss back there?" Jake asked, leaning closer to be heard over the noisy crowd, much to Taylors delight. "They look like they took a bag of angry cays to the face, _him_ especially."

 _"Crows,_ actually." Taylor said lightly, trying not to laugh at Jake's obvious surprise. "I think they're still a little freaked out about it." He hummed thoughtfully, and entirely too innocently.

"Heh, this whole damn place seems freaked out, if ya ask me." Jake huffed, running a hand through his hair as he looked around the crowd briefly.

"Uh..." Taylor coughed, his amusement fading as a tickle of nervousness made itself at home in his gut. "What do you mean?" He asked, hoping he sounded nonchalant and intrigued.

"Dunno, just gettin' a weird vibe..." Jake huffed, frowning as he looked down at the court, while Taylor bit the inside of his cheek and firmly told himself that now was not the time to be wondering what the other mans hair would feel like tangled around his fingers. "Like, somethin's _wrong..._ but no one wants to admit it." The pilot said, startling Taylor from his inappropriate thoughts as he turned his cerulean gaze back towards him. 

"Uh..." He coughed, trying his hardest to suppress a shiver. He glanced up at Jake, grateful when the pilot didn't seem to have noticed his reaction. "So, Jake..." He said, smirking as he unsubtly changed the subject. "Do you come to all the games..?"

"Eh, I try to come to one or two if I happen to be free or near town..." He said, shrugging his shoulder lightly. "Cheer for Becca, maybe say hi to my old shop teacher while I'm at it." He hummed, before snorting and glancing sideways at Taylor. "It's also pretty much the _only_ thing to do around here."

"That's harsh." Taylor pouted, his eyes flashing with amusement. "And, also... One hundred percent true." He snickered, looking down at the base of the bleachers, where he spotted Rebecca standing with the rest of the cheer squad.  

Jake waved, a soft grin on his face as she smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. "Heh, brat..." He scoffed, shaking his head fondly.

"You guys are _adorable."_ Taylor said, nudging Jake's elbow playfully. The pilot snickered, spreading his palms briefly before sighing and gesturing to himself.

"What can I say, we try." He said, chuckling quietly when Taylor shoved his elbow again. He smirked, gesturing down to the court with his chin. "Looks like the games about to start." He said, and Taylor followed his gaze to see the two teams were getting into position for the jump ball.

"Yeah! Go wolves!" He called, as his schools team took possession, raising a brow at Jake's sudden coughing fit. "... You okay there, Top Gun?"

"Yeah, yeah, just... _Nothin'."_ Jake said, clearing his throat and focusing his attention onto the game again. After a moment, Taylor turned back too, pushing aside the other mans strange reaction to watch the game himself.

He watched as the Westchester player drove down the court, only to soon become trapped by an Anderton High defender. "Drew! Over here!" Sean called, waving his arms to show the utterly free space around him. The other player looked over at Sean, then turned away again. He tried to get past the defender, but ended up losing the ball instead. " _Are you kidding me_?!" Sean's frustrated growl could be heard even over the crowd, as he ran a hand over his short hair.

"What the _hell?"_ Taylor demanded, scowling down at the other player, as he shuffled away. "Sean was _wide_ open!" He growled, as the Cougars scored an easy goal. He shifted in his seat, shaking his head at the other players stubbornness and stupidity, but telling himself the game would surely improve now the ball was back in his teams possession. However, he felt his heart begun to sink, when he noticed the pattern which was slowly developing.

"Is it just me, or is nobody passin' to ya buddy down there?" Jake asked quietly, as he frowned down at the court.

"It's definitely _not_ you..." Taylor sighed, biting his lip as he gazed down at Sean, as his friend shook his head in frustration. Things did not improve as the game went on, and by the middle of the second quarter, the Wolves were down by ten points.

 _"Booooo!"_ Craig sneered, cupping his hand around his mouth as he yelled down to the court. "Someone _score_ already!"

"Come on, Wolves!" Rebecca cheered, trying to inspire the teams moral. "You can do it!" She cried, waving her pom poms enthusiastically.

"Urgh, this _blows."_ Michelle huffed, sitting on a bench and propping her chin on her hands, as she watched the game in boredom.

Taylor ignored the blonde, watching Sean grow steadily madder, as his team continued to refuse to pass to him. His friend Tom watched from the bench, his shoulders slumped. _"Urgh!"_ Taylor growled suddenly, shaking his head in disgust as he gripped the bleacher on either side of his knees. "I can't believe this... I'm bout to go down there and slap someone!" He threatened darkly, as Jake huffed beside him.

"Ya ain't the only one, Boy Scout..." Jake replied, watching curiously as the Wolves continued to snub their teammate. "Steve Rogers looks about ready to blow a gasket." He said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Taylor worried his lip, as he watched Sean down on the court, as he got into a defensive stance; tracking the ball with the intensity of a shark, his face flushed with anger. Taylor could hear his low chanting, now that the crowd had tapered to hushed whispers and snide comments. "Come on... _come on!"_

One of the Anderton players made a cross court pass, and Sean seized his chance; launching forward and snatching the ball out of the air, twirling away gracefully. _"Ha!"_ Sean cried, dodging around another Anderton player quickly.

"Yes!" Taylor cried, jumping to his feet in excitement, a huge grin blazing to life across his face. "Go, Sean, _go!"_ He called, his hands cupped around his mouth to project his voice. He bounced on his feet as he watched Sean fly down the court, heading for the three point line, defenders of the opposing team scrambling to catch up to him. He launched the ball towards the hoop, just as an Anderton player slammed into him from the side.

 _"Oof!"_ Sean huffed, stumbling in surprise but not falling, instead punching the air as the ball swished through the basket.

 _"Woo!"_ Tom cried from the bench, launching to his feet like much of the crowd and cheering loudly when the referee awarded Sean a free throw, which he sank easily. 

 _"Score!"_ Taylor cried, as he bounced on the balls of his feet and cheered louder than anyone, laughing as he cupped his hands around his mouth as the crowd roared around him. _"Wooooo!_ I love you, Sean Gayle!" He yelled, quickly followed by several other voices calling the same thing.

Taylor laughed as Sean found him in the crowd, pointing at him and winking as he flashed a brilliant smile. _"Hell yeah!"_ He called back to Taylor, before skipping backward to follow his team off the court, when the referee signalled halftime. 

Taylor did an encouraging shuffle like dance as the cheer squad jumped up to do their routine, waving both hands over his head like pom poms as Rebecca rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. "Come on Wolves, let's hear you _howl!"_ She cried, rallying the rest of the squad into an impassioned howl.

 _"Awoooooo!"_ Michelle cheered loudest, as Taylor sniffed and pointedly sat back down. As the cheerleaders started their routine, he glanced over at Jake and found him frowning slightly. "What's up?" He asked, his cheeks flushing as he realised he'd just been yelling about his very platonic love for one of his best friends, very publicly.

Jake watched the cheer squad a moment longer, his brows slowly drawing into a deeper frown. "... Rebecca seem off her game to ya, Boy Scout?" He finally asked, nodding towards where Rebecca was dancing clumsily at the back of the formation.

Taylors hands balled into fists, his heart aching for his friend as he gazed down at her. _She hasn't told him about the blackmail..._ He thought, biting his lip as he tried to decide what he could say to reassure her brother, without actually betraying her trust. "Maybe..." He said slowly, looking up at Jake and locking his deep blue gaze onto the pilots cerulean eyes. "There's something going on with her..." He said carefully.

"Must be." Jake replied, as he immediately began to nod in agreement. "Becca wouldn't let any old stress interfere with her cheerleadin'." He went on to explain, sighing as he looked down at her again and gripped the edge of his seat. "Gymnastics, dance, cheer... performin' was always the _one thing_ that helped her escape from whatever other crap she was dealin' with."

Taylor felt his heart lurch, looking back down at Rebecca sadly. "Crap like... your parents?" He asked quietly, the crowd almost drowning out his words, though he knew Jake heard him from the surprised glance he threw him.

Jake sighed, his foot tapping on the bleachers. "Yeah..." He said, swallowing thickly as he nodded. "I gave up on my folks a long time ago, to be honest... To me, their just a coupla unpleasant strangers who happen to live with my sister." He said, looking over at Taylor and frowning at the distant expression he wore, clearly oblivious of the pilots scrutiny. "But Becca? I don't think she could ever cut 'em out like that. She's too good a person."

Taylor listened to the pilots explanation, his heart swelling and clenching alternately, as he thought about how their situations were so similar; and yet so different. _What I wouldn't give, to have the chance to have cut my parents out myself._ He thought, his eyes narrowing briefly as he shook his head minutely, unaware of Jake's growing concern beside him. _Still, not like it really makes a difference. He still has to see his on occasion, I don't even know where the hell mine are_... He hummed, suddenly realising how long he'd been silent. He felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment, and he forced a laugh as he scratched his ear, glancing over at Jake as he cleared his throat. "So, you're _not_ a good person?" He asked coyly, raising a brow and pasting a cocky grin to his face.

Jake eyed him a moment longer, clearly debating whether or not to ask, before seeming to respect his silent and unsubtle plea to avoid the subject. "Heh," he huffed, winking as he smirked back at Taylor. "Not _too_ good."

"Not too good... enough that, you can handle getting into a little trouble on occasion?" Taylor asked, as Jake barked a surprised laugh and shook his head at him.

"Depends on the trouble..." He said, raising a brow as he eyed Taylor quickly. "Trouble I'm closest to right now, though? _Not_ so little..." He snickered, as Taylor snorted and bit his lip.

They looked down at the cheer squad as the routine finished, and Taylor drew in a deep breath to steel his nerves, before nudging Jake's elbow lightly. "I promise, she will be okay, Top Gun." He said, nodding his head towards Rebecca, as she trudged back to her seat dejectedly. "She's not alone... not anymore." He assured, as Jake blinked in surprise, before nodding sharply in thanks.

They fell into a comfortable silence, as the second half of the game began, and Taylor felt a rare flood of warmth blaze in his heart as they both turned to watch the team bound back onto the court. They cheered together during the third quarter, as Sean sank basket after basket; until finally, by the middle of the final quarter, the Wolves were only down by one point.  "Holy crap..." Taylor muttered, his eyes wide in awe of his friend.

"Huh," Jake hummed in agreement, watching Sean with approval as he dodged around the opposing teams players easily. "We might _actually_ win this." He admitted with obvious surprise, as the cheering from their side of the bleachers grew louder, when Tim grabbed a rebound, and began dribbling up the court.

 _"Woo!"_ Rebecca cheered eagerly, waving her pom poms excitedly. "Get 'em, Wolves!" She cried, as Tom stopped, blocked by an Anderton defender. He spun, looking for an opening.

 _"Sean!"_ He called, passing the ball quickly when he spotted his friend was unguarded. With just five seconds left on the clock, Sean pivoted, and launched the ball towards the net.

"Come on..!" Erupted from the court and bleachers alike, the entire crowd seeming to hold its breath and track the ball with their eyes, until it drooled straight into the basket.

 _"Boom!"_ Craig yelled from the back of the bleachers, just before the crowd roared, surging to their feet as one. The stands bled onto the court, rushing forward as a chant began to rise over the noise.

 _"Hail Gayle! Hail Gayle! Hail Gayle_!" The crowd cheered ecstatically, as Taylor laughed and applauded, moving to join the group hug which was rapidly forming around Sean.

"You're number one, dude!" He called, as Sean beamed at him giddily. "And also... _All hayle, Sean Gayle!"_ He crowed, as Sean laughed and shook hands with the various people who thrust their arms toward him eagerly.

"Well, my first demand as victor; is for everyone to _party!"_ Sean called, laughing as the crowd cheered uproariously and began to disperse slightly. As the throng of bodies began to clear, Taylor lingered behind, shaking his head as Sean approached with a shy but pleased grin.

"You were _incredible_ out there, man." Taylor said, bumping his fist to Sean's, before laughing when the sports star enveloped him in a tight hug. "I always knew you were gonna end up the star of the team...  Who says you can only be awesome at one sport?" He snickered, as he gently disentangled himself from Sean's embrace.

"Heh, thanks Taylor." Sean chuckled, beaming down at him. He looked around the gym, his eyes welling with emotion as he shook his head gently. "I can't believe this is happening... I _knew_ I could do this! That if they'd just give me a _chance..."_ He murmured, just as Tom pushed his way through the wall of bodies around them.

"C'mon, Sean! We've gotta hit the showers!" He said, beaming as he clapped Sean on the shoulder affectionately. "Coach is taking the whole team out to the diner to celebrate!"

Sean smiled at his friend, clapping him back on his shoulder briefly, before looking back at Taylor. "You should come too!" He said, grinning broadly as he began to back away with Tom. "Desserts on me, I'm feeling generous to my star cheerer!" He said, as Taylor laughed and flushed.

"I might take you up on that!" He called after him, as Sean followed the rest of his team to the locker room. Taylor shook his head, and looked around, realising he'd lost Jake somewhere along the way. He searched the gym, his elation just beginning to turn to dismay, when he spotted the pilot over by the doors. "Hey!" He called, trotting over and peeking up at him shyly. "You heading out?"

"Soon, yeah." Jake said, as Taylor nodded and bit his lip, lowering his eyes to hide his disappointment. "Gonna see if I can talk to Rebecca for a minute first." He said, pausing before clearing his throat. "You uh, want a ride home?" He asked quickly, as Taylors head jerked up in surprise. He blinked, as Jake snorted and averted his gaze around the gym, unintentionally giving Taylor the chance to catch the faint stain of colour creeping up his throat. 

"Uh... _Maybe?"_ Taylor finally managed to ask back, drawing a quiet laugh from the pilot. "I mean, I'd _like..._ But I..." Taylor drew in a deep breath and, forcing himself to stop babbling, as he felt his cheeks turn hot from embarrassment. "I might be going to the diner with Sean and the team..." He said, biting his lip uncertainly, sorely tempted to tell Sean to eat his own damn desert and take the offered ride home; but not wanting to let his friend down, after his long awaited victory.

"Well, I can run ya over there, or pick you up after, if ya want." Jake offered, shrugging his shoulder and scratching the back of his neck briefly, as he cleared his throat. "I mean, it'll be dark by then, and ya don't wanna be walkin' along the road that time of night. Never know who ya might meet out there."

"Hmm, I know who I'd _like_ to meet." Taylor teased cockily, snickering when Jake snorted and shook his head. 

"Just let me know." The pilot huffed, holding out his hand expectantly. "It's a nice drive anyway, this time of night." He said, smirking as Taylor bit his lip and handed over his phone. He watched as Jake entered his number, before giving his phone back again, clearing his throat as he stepped back and stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket.

Taylor looked down at his phone, and laughed when he saw the new contact saved under 'Top Gun', his eyes lighting with amusement as he looked back up at Jake with a pleased grin. The pilot chuckled, and threw him a cocky wink and a rough teo fingered salute, before wandering through the crowd to find his sister. Taylor walked outside in a daze, his heart racing as he grinned foolishly, staring down at the new contact in his phone giddily.

 _Holy shit... I just got a guys phone number_. He thought to himself, drawing in and exhaling a deep breath to try and cool his excitement slightly _. A hot guys number... A hot, navy pilots number. A hot, navy pilot, who is... My best friends brother, and probably, possibly... hopefully, more than just being friendly_. He bit his lip, shaking his head to stop his thoughts from rambling endlessly.

He drew in another deep breath, looking around and watching the crowd dispersing to their cars, chatting excitedly about the game. He exhaled slowly, finally clearing some of the giddy awe from his jumbled head. "Okay... So." He said, biting his lip again to try and prevent himself grinning like an idiot again. "What should I do tonight..?" He wondered aloud, swallowing thickly as he looked down at his phone. _Sean really deserved this win tonight... I can't let him down_. He thought, his lips twitching as he looked out into the darkening sky. _But, Jake did say to text him after, if I wanted_... He thought giddily, stuffing his phone back into his pocket as he shrugged his bag higher on his shoulder. "And oh boy... do I _want..."_ He murmured, unable to fight off his wide smile again, as he turned and began to walk into town.

Ten minutes later, the night air having sufficiently cooled his overexcited ego, he stepped into the diner and took a look around. It was mostly empty, apart from a rowdy table in the back, where the basketball players sat. "Taylor" Sean called, beaming a wide grin his way as he spotted him. "Over here!"

Taylor smiled, walking over as Sean scooted closer to Tom and patted the empty seat next to him. Taylor winked, and slid in beside him. "Hey, guys." He greeted, grinning at Sean and nudging his elbow playfully. "I was promised dessert."

"Hey, Taylor." Tom said, waving shyly as Sean laughed and rolled his eyes at Taylors teasing.

"I'm really glad you made it, man." Sean said, smiling as he nudged Taylor back. "Took you long enough though... I didn't think you'd show."

"I... almost _didn't."_ Taylor admitted, his cheeks flaring with heat as an unstoppable grin spread across his face. "I was offered a ride. Hot guy and all, you know..." He said, winking exaggeratedly as Sean rolled his eyes and grinned knowingly. "But then I thought, how could I possibly miss out on this riotous display of bro-ness?" He snickered, as Sean and Tom both laughed at him. 

"So, Sean..." He said suddenly, clearing his throat and adopting a serious expression, despite the obvious amusement in his eyes, as he held his hand out to him like a microphone. "You've just led the Wolves to victory... Would you say, I'm your lucky charm?" He asked, snickering at Sean's surprised chuckle.

"Well, I'm definitely feelin pretty lucky right now." The sports star admitted, grinning at Taylor and giving him a wink.

"My boy Sean got _game."_ Tom said, feigning a swoon and falling over into Sean's lap, smirking up at them. "Be still my heart! You better snap this one up quick, Taylor."

"Eh?" Taylor choked, his brows rising as Sean laughed and playfully nudged Tom in the ribs, helping him sit up again he darted a confused look between Sean and Taylor.

"Taylors default setting when talking to guys is 'flirt'..." Sean explained, still chuckling at Taylors genuine confusion and startlement. "I'm not his type in the slightest though, _way_ too boring for him." He said, grinning over at Taylor as he frowned.

"What the _hell?_ That makes me sound like some kind of horny dog, humping everyone's leg until I find the right-" he trailed off suddenly, feeling hot all the way to his ears as he cleared his throat. "What makes you think I even _have_ a type? There is no _type,_ nor any basis for a type to be construed..."

"Oh _please,"_ Sean scoffed, picking up his drink and downing some quickly as Taylor frowned at him. "You light up like a peacock whenever you're actually interested on someone." 

"Why does everyone keep _saying_ that?!" Taylor complained, leaning forward and burying his head under his arms briefly, groaning as he fought off his embarrassment and frustration. "More to the point why do you all say stuff I can't deny?" He added with a pout, scowling as he finally sat up again.

"'Cause it's funny to see you squirm, dude." Sean chuckled, shrugging lightly. "And besides, it's always the dangerous streak you go for. Like, a certain someone's big, navy pilot brother." He said, smirking knowingly as Tom discreetly slipped away to go chat with some of their other teammates.

Taylor cleared his throat, determinedly ignoring the fierce blaze of heat in his cheeks as he watched Tom laugh with the others. "You're really close, huh?" He asked, nodding to where Tom was waving his arms in emphatic emphasis of something the others found hilarious.

"Subtle, Taylor." Sean snorted, shaking his head as he followed Taylors gaze. "Me and Tom? Yeah, we're pretty tight... I knew him before I met you, even. He's my oldest friend."

"I can tell." Taylor said, his natural confidence returning with the much safer topic of anything but his limited experience with dating. "It's obvious you two have each others backs."

"Yeah." Sean hummed, his expression turning thoughtful as he gently toyed with his glass. "When I first started on the team, it was... kinda hard, I guess. The change from football to basketball, the fallout from Craig and Michelle, the..." He paused, swallowing heavily as he glanced at Taylor. "You know, everything with momma..." He said roughly, before quickly pushing on. "Anyway, it was just good to know Tom was always gonna be there too. Made things that little bit easier."

"Sean... I'm sorry I wasn't there for yo-" Taylor began, grimacing guiltily as he looked at Sean, only for his friend to bump their shoulders together playfully.

"You were." He assured, spreading his palm briefly, before smiling warmly. "Okay, maybe we weren't quite so close then, but you still came and talked to me when you saw I was down, and I told you more than I did either Craig or Michelle... I still trusted you more, despite the years we didn't talk." He said, shaking his head fondly. "It might not have been as much as Tom, but you were there... You all were. And that helped too."

Taylor hummed vaguely, still feeling the gnaw of guilt in his gut, but it was sufficiently dulled by Sean's reassurances. "So," he coughed, gesturing over to Tom again. "How'd you guys meet?"

"Our parents were friends in college." Sean said, following Taylors gaze to his friend and smiling fondly. "We've been hanging around each other since we were in diapers." He huffed affectionately.

"Okay, I'm gonna need to see baby pictures for evidence." Taylor snickered, as Sean laughed and shook his head. 

"Evidence of what exactly? Our friendship?" He huffed, looking back at Taylor in amusement.

"There's that yes, but also lots of 'aww! Lookit tiny baby Sean!' And comparing your aforementioned tininess, to your now big and hugeness." He chuckled, winking as he patted Sean's large bicep for emphasis.

"Pretty sure momma already showed you all the embarrassing baby pictures." Sean said, running a hand over his hair. "We used to be _friends,_ remember?"

"We're friends now too... _aren't_ we?" Taylor asked, cocking his head slightly as he raised a curious brow.

Sean met Taylors eyes, breaking out in a slow, soft smile. "Yeah... Yeah, of _course_ we are." He said, immediately rolling his eyes when Taylor waggled his brows at him.

"Then there's no reason she can't show me again." He said, sniggering at Sean's exasperated huff of amusement. At that moment, the waitress approached, asking for dessert orders.

"Well, like you said..." Sean huffed, smiling at Taylor warmly. "I did promise you dessert." He reminded, as Taylor laughed.

"Hmm..." He hummed, glancing at the menu, before looking over at Sean with a grin. "How about we split the Strawberry Sweetheart Shake?" He suggested.

"Isn't that meant for couples?" Sean asked, raising an amused brow at him as Taylor sniggered and nodded to the waitress.

"Then it's just as well we're a _couple_ of really good friends, who don't make each other drink huge shakes by themselves." He said, laughing when Sean groaned at him and shook his head. "Besides, I know strawberry is your favourite..." He teased in a sing song voice. 

A few minutes later, the waitress returned, bringing an enormous, bright pink shake, with heart shaped sprinkles. Taylor sniggered and bumped his straw to Sean's quickly, grinning widely as Sean grabbed his own straw. "To your victory, good sir!"

"Careful, I might get used to all this praise and worship." Sean said, chuckling as they both leaned in to sip from the giant milkshake. Taylor grinned around his straw, pleased to have had the chance to reaffirm his friendship with the sports star. He glanced out the window, his thoughts turning to his conversation with Jake about walking home in the dark, and he felt his cheeks begin to warm, as he began to free his phone from his pocket. "Are you blushing?" Sean asked suddenly, startling Taylor from his thoughts as he coughed and spluttered briefly.

 _"No."_ He protested, scowling at Sean as his cheeks noticeably heated further. "Shut up." He groused, muttering to himself as he checked the time on his phone.

"Uh huh." Sean chuckled, watching Taylor as he picked up his phone and set it back on the table several times, unable to decide whether to send the message or not. "Hey, Taylor..." He said suddenly, turning serious as he frowned over their shake at him. Taylor blinked, looking up in surprise at the heavy tone. "I dunno what Ben meant yesterday, or why it upset you so bad, but I just wanted you to know..." He began, his frown deepening briefly, as Taylor flinched and averted his gaze. "You're a pretty amazing person, you know?" He said, surprising Taylor in his gentle sincerity and drawing his gaze to return to him. "I'm _really_ glad, you're back in my life." He said, smiling softly as something hard in Taylors chest began to melt.

"Yeah... me too." He said, grinning back at his friend as he gestured to the shake. "Desserts like this, I'm more than glad..." He snickered, as Sean laughed and took another sip.

"Hey, heads up guys!" Tom said, approaching them with a wide grin. "Samson swears he can eat this cheeseburger in one bite, and we gotta clear a barf zone." He said, drawing laughter from them both as they quickly finished their shake and moved out of the way.

"I guess this is where you head off?" Sean asked knowingly, smiling as Taylor grabbed his bag and phone. "See you tomorrow?" He said, as Taylor hugged him briefly.

"You know it." He said, winking as he stepped out into the night air, the door closing behind him with a soft chime. _I could just walk home_... He thought, starting to half heartedly dawdle down the street. _Hell, it might even be safer to, just so I can't embarrass myself... But, still_... He paused, biting his lip indecisively for a moment. He drew in a deep breath and had just raised his phone when it began to ring, Rebecca's name lighting up the screen. With a frown, he accepted and raised the phone to his ear. "Becca? You okay?"

"Taylor... Can-" Rebecca broke off, and Taylor was sure he could hear the girl sniffling down the phone. "Can ya come walk me to my car..?" She asked hesitantly, as if ashamed of herself for asking. "I... I mean, only if it's not too much... I, oh god I'm sorr-"

"No, no its _fine!"_ Taylor quickly replied, already jogging back towards the school. "Where abouts are you? I'll meet you... What's wrong?" He fired off quickly, hoping to keep the girl talking.

"I'm just bein' stupid, I know..." Rebecca sniffed, and Taylor frowned as he heard her draw in a shaky sigh. "I just, I don't wanna face seein' Michelle on my own tonight... Not after havin' Jake on my case about what's buggin' me. Thanks by the way, for not tellin' him."

"Of course I didn't," Taylor huffed, turning back into the school grounds. "It's not my place to, but he's worried about you too... And he might be able to help you, Becca." 

 _"Nobody_ can help me, Taylor..." Rebecca sighed, and Taylor heard her move around briefly on the other end of the phone. "After everythin' tonight, I just... I ended up just starin' at my reflection in the mirror for ages, and... and I don't know how much more of this I can take, Taylor..." She said in a small voice, as Taylor felt his heart clench painfully.

"Hey, its okay, remember?" Taylor said, trying to sound comforting as opposed to out of breath. "I'm here, you're not alone anymore. You can talk to me about anythi-" A heavy sound travelled down the line, and Taylor sped up to an almost run, as he Rebecca gasp a moment later. "Hold on, Becca... Just get out of there, I'm nearly to the gym." He assured, as Rebecca made an indistinct sound, and Taylor assumed she put her phone in her pocket.

"Jumpy much?" Michelle's voice drawled down the phone, sounding almost gleeful. "Guess I'd be on edge too, if I just made an ass of myself in front of the whole school." She giggled, as Taylor grit his teeth, his free hand balling into a fist on behalf of Rebecca.

"Ya know what, Michelle?" The fiery redhead fumed down the phone, as Taylor murmured praise into his end of the call. "Get the _hell_ away from me."

" _Excuse me_?" Michelle demanded, clearly outraged by Rebecca's sudden flare of temper.

"Ya heard me just fine." Rebecca snarled, as Taylor panted and slowed back down to a jog, upon reaching the gym. "Why don't ya go back to whatever hell dimension, ya back-handsprung outta?" She demanded, though Taylors gut clenched fearfully, when her outburst followed by a long, furious silence.

"Wow, I really thought you'd have learnt by now." Michelle said suddenly, her tone entirely too cheerful to be anything but threatening. "But I guess you really _are_ as dumb as you look." She said, and Taylor heard Rebecca draw a breath to reply, when she seemed to exhale sharply instead.

"No..." She gasped a moment later, and Taylors heart broke for his friend, at her distraught tone.

"Aww, just look how sad you are!" Michelle sneered condescendingly, though her words were belied by her amused giggle. "I tried to pick a thumbnail where you could really see the snot."

 _"Michelle..!"_ Rebecca choked, and Taylor scowled as he heard Michelle's footsteps click closer to his friend, glancing around as he made his way across the school campus as quickly as he could.

"You know, Becca, I _super_ appreciate everything you've done for me," the blonde drawled down the phone, as Taylor grit his teeth and hopped over a broken chunk of pavement. "But, I really feel like its time to take our friendship, to the next level... Your parents are gonna be out of town soon, right?" She asked, and Taylor was sure he could hear Rebecca's terrified heartbeat down the phone. "For that convention or whatever. You know what that means... Party at Rebecca's house!"

"Michelle, _no!"_ Rebecca pleaded, her fear almost palpable down the line. "My mom would kille me!"

"Yeah," Michelle said flippantly, giggling as she continued cheerfully. "But what would she do if..." She hummed, as Rebecca gasped.

"Michelle, ya don't wanna do this...." Rebecca insisted, and Taylor couldn't tell if she was concerned for what might happen to the blonde; given the recent spat of 'accidents' which had helped his friends, or if she was genuinely trying to appeal to Michelle's long since deadened heart.

"I kinda _do,_ actually." Michele said lightly, sighing thoughtfully. "I post this, your mom grounds you forever. I get to be cheer captain... Plus, so many Pictogram likes." She drawled, her airy chuckle making Taylors fury spike sharply. "Really, it's up to you to give me a reason _not_ to post it. So... party at your place?"

Taylor heard Rebecca pause, could almost hear the thoughts in her head, before she finally sighed in resignation. "... Okay." She conceded, her voice small and broken. Taylor rounded the corner, just as he heard Michelle's footsteps begin to retreat from Rebecca, dipping sideways into the shadows of the gym as he saw the door opening on the far side of the parking lot.

"Yay!" Michelle cheered, glancing back from the doorway as Taylor watched through narrowed eyes, listening to her condescending tone down the phone. "I'll let you know when I've worked out all the details. _Byyeeee!"_ She called, turning to walk away, leaving the door to clamg shut behind her.

Taylor lowered his eyes to the floor, as he heard Rebecca sniff, clearly giving in to her desire to cry now she was alone. "Becca, I'm here... Come on out, it can't get any worse. I'm here, Becca..." He said, wishing he could do more to help his friend, as he crept toward the door through the shadows of the gym.

"What am I gonna _do..?"_ He heard Rebecca cry down the phone, his heart breaking for her; until his attention was stolen suddenly, by a shrill scream piercing the air. _"Michelle?!"_ Rebecca cried, as Taylor jerked his eyes up from the ground to look across the car park in the direction Michelle had moved. "Taylor!" Rebecca called, flying out of the locker room and spotting him as he rushed forward to meet her.

"You okay?" He asked, hanging up his phone and shoving it in his pocket, before running back toward the front of the school. _"Whoa..!"_ He cried, pulling up short at the corner and pulling Rebecca behind him, peeling around to look at the familiar form of a bony, vine creature.

"Oh my god..." Rebecca gasped, seeing the beast for the first time. She glanced at Taylor, biting her lip indecisively, before shoving Taylor back against the wall. "Stay here." She ordered sharply, before rushing around the side of the building alone.

 _"Becca!"_ Taylor hissed, though he did as he was bid and remained out of sight, confident in his assumption that the creature would not hurt his friend; though he was ready to act, if it tried to.

"R-R-Rebecca..." Michelle stammered,her terrified gaze locked onto the creature before her. "Rebecca, do s-something..!" She pleaded, shrieking again as the plant creature lunged forward, its jaws snapping around the blondes bag and tearing it away from her.

"Michelle, _run!"_ Rebecca called, moving cautiously closer as she grabbed a large rock from the ground. Taylor bit his lip, stepping closer to the corner of the building as his heart hammered in his chest, watching the blonde sprint to her car worh the creature at her heels. He sighed in relief as she pulled the door closed behind her, barely in time to keep the beast from leaping in beside her.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes as the creature slammed against the car door, crumpling metal and cracking glass, as Michelle screamed inside; tears streaming down her cheeks. "Chill out already," Rebecca barked, cocking her arm. "I'm helpin' ya!" She growled, launching her large rock with perfect aim, striking the creature on the head and seening to stun it. "Just don't open the damn door!"

"Duh, idiot!" Michelle yelled, as Taylor rolled his eyes and shook his head, thinking the girl lucky Rebecca hadn't left her there on her own. "Just do _something!"_

Taylor watched as Rebecca rummaged in her pocket for her keys, as the creature turned away from the car and slowly stalked towards her. "Er... Good, tree, thing... Just, uh, leave her alone, huh?" Rebecca muttered, flinching away from the creature and holding out the tiny can of mace attached to her keychain.

Taylors brow rose as he saw the creature dip its head, nosing at Michelle's fallen bag, before picking it up in its jaws, and trotting to Rebecca almost affectionately. He swallowed, a shiver passing over his spine as he thought vaguely that it seemed like the creature was smiling. "Uh, good... plant thing?" Rebecca said, as the creature tossed Michelle's purse to her feet, spilling it's contents out onto the sidewalk.

"What the _hell-"_ Michelle gasped, her palms pressed to the cracked window of her car in disbelief. Rebecca glanced at the blonde, before slowly stooping to pick something up off the ground. Taylor grimaced at the skeletal grin which the vine creature gave Rebecca, before it loped past her and disappeared into the trees.

"Michelle..? Are ya okay?" Rebecca called distractedly, looking after the beast, before lowering her eyes to the object in her hands.

The blonde glared out through the cracked window, her face red with fury. "What the _hell?!_ Was this just some sick _prank?!"_ She demanded, scowling at Rebecca hatefully. "Oh, I cannot _wait_ to see what happens to you when I post that vide-"

 _"This..._ video?" Rebecca interrupted, holding out Michelle's phone in her hand. She waved it briefly, before bringing it back to her own gaze, and Taylors heart soared as she tapped a few buttons; before noticeably relaxing.

Michelle gasped, as Rebecca began to laugh. "Looks like you're out of-" she began, only to pause when the blondes phone pinged, looking down at it briefly, while Michelle began to struggle with her mangled car door. "Holy _shit,_ Michelle..."

"Seriously, Becca, _don't-"_ the blonde began, only for Rebecca to scoff and cut her off.

"Oh, sorry, what was that?" She snorted, waving Michelle's phone before her. "I couldn't hear ya over the sound of ya trash talking literally _every single one_ of ya friends." She snapped, and Taylor frowned as he felt the tickle of ominous foreboding once more alight in his gut.

"Look.. I," Michelle began, clearly panicking now that their situations had been reversed. "I was just kidding, you know? I was never gonna post that video really! I'd never-"

"Never what? Humiliate me? Exploit me for shoppin' money?" Rebecca demanded, as Taylor shrank back slightly, torn between conflicting feelings as his friend finally freed herself of the blondes hold, but seemed too lost in her ire to realise she was treading a dangerous line. "Make me jeopardize my spot on the squad, just so _you'd_ look good?" She fumed, kicking the blondes purse toward her, but pointedly keeping her phone.

For the first time he could remember, Michelle looked truly terrified as she stared out her ruined car window, at the fiery tempered girl she had been tormenting. _"Please,_ Becca-"

"I know what its like to be afraid all the time, Michelle." Rebecca said darkly, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she began to move away. "I'd _hate_ for ya to feel that way..." She said, as Taylor swallowed and pulled back around the corner, concerned about the potential backlash of his friends current actions. "Ya know what? Suddenly, I do fancy havin' a party... But I think, maybe, we should have it at _your_ house, _Meech."_ She said, ignoring Michelle's protest as she turned on her heel and tucked the blondes phone into her pocket, waving a hand as she stalked away with her head held high. "I'll let ya know when I've worked out all the details!" She called tauntingly, strolling round the side of the building and grabbing Taylor by the hand gleefully.

"Oh my god!" She whispered gleefully, her grey eyes so alight with life, that Taylor could almost push aside his unease. "Taylor, I'm _free!"_ She cried, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Yeah..." He said slowly, wrapping his arms around her in return as he decided to allow her one night to enjoy her newfound freedom, before warning her to be careful tomorrow. "Yeah, you are..." He huffed, kissing her cheek as she drew back and they began moving back towards the rear car park.

"Oh my god, Taylor... Its been so long, I can't..." She babbled happily, shaking her head in disbelief at her good fortune.

"Can't form coherent sentences?" He snickered, nudging her playfully. She laughed and swatted his shoulder, ignoring his protest as he rubbed the area with a feigned pout. "Well, at least you don't have to be scared anymore..." He said, opening her car door for her and leaning against it.

"Yeah..." She sighed giddily, hopping up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for coming..." She said, moving to climb into her car. "Oh, did ya want a ride home?" She asked, glancing to at him curiously.

"I, uh... I'm good." He said, clearing his throat as he shut the door behind her. "Drive safe." He said pointedly, hoping the strange awkwardness he felt would pass before he saw her again in the morning. She hummed and waved, before starting her car and driving away.

Taylor watched her go with a small frown, making his way slowly toward the school gate as he absently pulled out his phone and typed out a message to Jake, hitting send without pausing to think the action through. _Why do I feel like this is gonna come back and bite her on the ass harder than a._.. His thought trailed off as he shook his head, pushing aside all of his discomfort from the evening; excitement bubbling in his gut instead, as he came to realise he'd just asked Jake to come collect him, when a message quickly came back, saying the pilot would be with him shortly.

Sure enough, only a few minutes later, he was sitting in Jake's passenger seat, while blues played softly on the radio. "Thanks for coming..." Taylor said, as he strapped himself in and finally began to feel himself relax. The pilot said nothing in reply to his thanks, but he smirked as he pulled away from the curb. "So, do you think-" Taylor began, pausing when Jake cleared his throat and spoke at the same time.

"What have you been-" the pilot asked, the both of them laughing quietly as they stopped themselves from talking over one another. They sat in comfortable silence a moment longer, and Taylor peeked up to see the pilot glancing at him occasionally, his skin prickling pleasantly under the pilots attention.

"Did, uh..." Taylor began again, clearing his throat as he tried to concentrate on what he was saying, rather than how the low lighting made Jake's bright eyes seem to glow faintly. "Did you get a chance to talk to Rebecca?"

"I did, yeah." Jake said fondly, though his expression quickly darkened. "She didn't tell me what was up, but, she was pretty excited about the game." He said, cutting a glance at Taylor as he bit his lip guiltily. "I'm glad ya hangin' out again. I can tell it makes her happy."

"I'm glad too. I didn't even realise how much I missed everyone." Taylor admitted, glancing down at his lap as he considered the ominous presence of Redfield hanging over them all. _We used to be closer than anything, back then, and it practically disappeared overnight, thanks to Mr. Red._.. He thought, before shaking his head minutely. _Because of me..._ He corrected, sighing as he looked out the window briefly to hide the confliction in his gaze. "I don't know if it'll stick, but I don't think you need to worry about Becca for the time being..." He hummed, catching the curious flick of the pilots eyes toward him in the reflection of his window. He grinned, pushing aside his melancholy and turning back to face the pilot. "Besides, its definitelygood to see _you_ again."

"Oh yeah?" Jake snorted, flashing Taylor a cocky grin. Taylor raised a brow, when the pilot conspicuously said nothing further, his grin only growing wider as he noted Taylors mounting frustration.

"I believe the _nice_ thing to say here," Taylor finally snarked, folding his arms over his chest as he pouted at the pilot. "Would be 'its nice to see you too, Taylor'."

"Ah, but if I say it now, ya won't know if I mean it..." Jake said, winking at Taylor as he huffed and pointedly turned to face forward. Jake snickered, leaning over to turn the radio down, so that it was only a faint whisper in the background. Taylor bit his lip, telling himself that the pilots hand was not lingering by his leg, when Jake set it upon the gearstick. His heart skipped a beat as Jake coughed quietly, glancing sidelong at him before quickly looking forward again. "So, how's life been?" He asked, and Taylor felt his lips twitch in amusement at the hint of darkness beneath the pilots stubbled jaw. "Sounds like things have been pretty crazy over at the high school."

"Yeah, things have been, uh..." Taylor began, only to trail off awkwardly, as he recalled again the slightly too coincidentally timed animal attacks. _"Complicated."_ He finished lamely, staring out the front window distractedly. He noticed Jake glance over with a raised brow, but the pilot chose not to pry. "Um, what about _you?"_ He asked suddenly, not wanting to put a dampener on the evening or waste his opportunity to get to know the pilot better. "What's your favourite thing to do in town?"

Jake huffed quietly, remaining silent for such a long pause that Taylor genuinely thought he wasn't going to answer. He was just about to try and cover his disappointment with a clever comment, when Jake finally sighed and rolled his eyes. "This is gonna sound stupid, but..." He said, grimacing when he glanced at Taylors openly curious expression. "Westchester has an awesome junkyard."

Taylor bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing, forcing his expression to remain neutral with some difficulty. "I don't know about 'stupid'..." He said kindly, shrugging one shoulder as he felt his lips twitch. "Maybe, _concerning and super murder-y_..." He finally choked, pleased when Jake laughed along with him.

"I've been tryin' my hand at fixin' up some old cars in my spare time." Jake admitted, glancing at Taylor as the younger ran a hand through his hair and yawned. "It's kinda therapeutic actually, bit like art if ya know what ya doin'." 

 _"Do_ you know what you're doing?" Taylor asked, grinning when Jake snorted in amusement.

"No." He admitted, chuckling when Taylor laughed openly. "But it's been more fun than I thought it'd be, just... tinkerin'."

"Wow, well, it sounds pretty cool if you ask me." Taylor hummed, eyeing Jake and feeling a blush creep up his throat as he imagined the pilot half naked and sweaty, covered in oil. "Pilot, hardware store cashier... Is there anything you _don't_ do?" He asked, pretending not to notice the thick timber of his voice.

"I'll try anything once, more if I enjoy it." Jake said, raising a brow when Taylor audibly choked and turned away, hurrying to hide his darkening face from the pilot; forgetting about his reflection in the window. "Learned how to weld for emergency touch ups in the Navy, little hobby I guess ya could say... Thought I'd put it to good use now I got the time."

"Any other hobbies you picked up in the Navy?" Taylor asked distractedly, desperately trying to cool his face off.

"Just rope and knot tyin'." Jake said, smirking knowingly when he heard Taylor give another quiet, strangled choke. He glanced over his shoulder as Taylor turned to glare at him accusingly, smiling to himself as he moved to make a left turn. "Honestly, I just like workin' with my hands... Only other thing that comes close to feelin' as good is flyin', and that ain't-" he broke off suddenly, his jaw locking as if he felt he'd said too much. 

Taylors glare softened, a cocky grin slipping onto his face in its place. "I bet you're _good_ with your hands." He said, as Jake groaned, shaking his head in amusement; his slip apparently forgotten.

"Walked right into that one, didn't I?" He huffed, chuckling quietly as he glanced at Taylors smug grin.

"Little bit." He snickered, cocking his head coyly. "But that doesn't mean it's not true, right?" He pressed.

"Mostly just means I got a lotta calluses." Jake snorted, shaking his head at Taylors determination. "My hands are kinda like sandpaper at this point."

"You're not gonna give an inch on this, are you?" Taylor asked, narrowing his eyes accusingly as the pilot merely waved his brows in response. "Your hands didn't feel that bad in the hospital..." He muttered, drawing a surprised laugh from Jake.

"I'm surprised ya even noticed," he said, sniggering at Taylors haughty pout. "Ya were so out of it, I thought ya were beyond anythin' gettin' through to ya."

 _"Pfft,_ I notice everything when there's a hot- _ahem..."_ He coughed abruptly, hoping to cover his slip. He glanced at Jake, the pilots grin rivaling that of a cheshire cat. "Anyway... I just, uh... I wish I were as good at making, or fixing things." He finally said, returning them to their previous conversation, while Jake smirked as he checked his mirrors. "Most of the time though, I'm just trying to stay afloat..." He said, his brow creasing slightly as he thought about the laundry he still needed to do, and the shopping he needed to get before the end of the week.

"Well, I'm one hundred percent sure that ya can figure it all out." Jake said, distracting him from the growing list of things he'd been neglecting at home.

"You're really into this whole, 'I'm _so_ much older and wiser than you', schtick, aren't you?" Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes at the pilot. "You're only five years older than me, you know!"

"Trust me its enough." Jake snorted, glancing sidelong at Taylor as he raised a brow at him.

"Enough, what?" He prodded, his other brow rising when Jake cleared his throat and pointedly locked his gaze on the road ahead, his hand tightening on the wheel slightly.

"Enough that I should know better..." Jake murmured, though Taylor heard him anyway, his heart sinking in his chest as he lowered his eyes to his lap. The pilot cleared his throat, either not noticing Taylors sudden dejection or ignoring it. "Becca always gets pissed when I tease her about still being in high school." He said with forced brevity, though his laughter was somewhat natural, before he continued. "Which _obviously_ means, I do it all the time."

"Best brother ever." Taylor huffed weakly, his lips quirking into a strained facsimile of a smile. He heard Jake sigh, and tried to push aside the sting of rejection in his heart, drawing in a deep breath as he sat up straighter and plastered a familiar, false smile on his face.

"Seriously Boy Scout," Jake said, glancing at him with furrowed brows. "Ya gonna be fine. If a screw up like me can get by in the real world, then _you're_ gonna take it by storm."

 _Sure; friend killer, family destroyer, trouble inducer_... Taylor thought, as he huffed a weak laugh. "Thanks Jake..." He said, forcing as much cheer into his voice as possible. He gathered his things together in his lap, as Jake pulled up outside his house, frowning through the window at the dark building. "Thanks again for the ride." Taylor said quickly, flashing what he hoped was a convincing grin at the pilot briefly. "It was... really nice. Also informative." He said, swallowing heavily as he reached for the door.

"... Next time, lets talk about _you."_ Jake said, causing Taylor to pause, as his heart lurched in his chest painfully. "I'm feelin' a little exposed, here." The pilot chuckled, sounding relieved that Taylor had paused in his hurried movements. 

Taylor hesitated, before turning to look at Jake, who feigned embarrassment and covered his face with his hands. _What a dork..._ He thought affectionately, laughing quietly. "Next time, huh?" He asked, raising a questioning brow as he bit his lip.

"Any time ya need a ride, Taylor." Jake assured, bracing one arm over the back of his seat as he winked at him. "Ya know where to find me."

"I guess I do..." He agreed, his heart clamouring in his chest as he tried to keep the giddy grin from his face. "No escaping me now." He warned, not entirely sure himself if he was only teasing.

Jake eyed him thoughtfully a moment, before looking back to the dark house, gesturing with his hand distractedly. "Ya parents ain't gonna flip that ya out so late..?" He asked, frowning when he looked back just in time to see Taylors expression shutter closed, his eyes turning blank and cold.

"No." He said, clearing his throat as he reached for the door handle again. "They won't even notice." He said quietly, unable to hide the bitter tone of dejection in his voice, as he threw the door open and hurried to step out. "Thanks again for the ride, Top Gun, get home safe." He said quickly, closing the door before Jake could reply and quickly jogging away towards the shed. He paused by the door, his heart racing as he turned to see Jake's car still parked up, but unable to see the pilot himself. He raised his hand in a wave, before hurrying into the shed to check on Mal. "Hey, little guy, how's it-" he began distractedly, before yelping and ducking suddenly as Mal flew out of the rafters, circling round quickly to  land on Taylors head. _"Aah!"_

"Well," he huffed, dumping his things by the door a d reaching up to pet the bird carefully. "Looks like _someone's_ feeling better already!" He chuckled, pushing aside the sense of apathy which had been building from his dangerously close to revealing conversation with Jake.

 _"Grawk!"_ Mal crowed, fluttering back to his nest and starting to prod as something with his beak. Curious, Taylor stood on his tiptoes to look.

"Another letter..?" He asked, his brows shooting up in surprise. "Where are you _finding_ these?" He wondered aloud, reaching to take out the letter, only for Mal to puff up his feathers and begin squawking angrily. "Aw, c'mon! That might be important!" Taylor protested, as the bird pecked at his fingers.

Taylor withdrew his hand, crossing his arms and glaring up at the little crow. _Dumb bird._.. He thought petulantly, pouting as he tried to think of a way to distract him. With a roll of his eyes, he huffed and smirked up at the little crow. "Hey, Mal!" He called playfully, reaching into his bag. "Look what I've got..!" He said, pulling a leftover piece of granola from his lunch bag, and waving it before the bit invitingly.

 _"Kee!"_ Mal cawed, flapping his wings eagerly. He fluttered over to land on Taylors hand, as he scoffed lightly at the birds predictably. While he busily pecked at the treat, Taylor shook his head, and carefully extracted the letter from his nest.

" _Dear, E.B_..." He began to read aloud, wondering briefly who such a person might be, before pushing the thought aside. _"Do you recall, our endless discussions beneath the old oak tree? As I settle into Westchester, your words echo in my ears, speaking of reality and ritual; known and unknown, and the ancient wilderness which lives between_..." Taylor read, his brow furrowing lightly in confusion, though he pushed on regardless. _"I confess, I am bewitched by this somnambulant woodland town. But there is a fog here, E.B... the gradual tension of boundaries, ill defined and shifting. Every soul in Westchester seems to acknowledge it; but none dare speak its name_." He said, pausing as he recalled Jake's similar comment during the game.

"Oh, god... What the hell is wrong with this town..?" He murmured, shaking his head as he read the final passage. " _A dark current courses beneath this town_." He said, rolling his eyes at the almost appropriate answer to his question. " _I mean to trace that current to its headwaters... and chart them, for all the world to see... Goddard... October first, eighteen seventy one_." Taylor grimaced, narrowing his eyes at the page. "Why does this sound so familiar..?" He muttered, shaking his head as he returned Mal to his nest and pinned the letter up beside the first. He turned to the door, peeking out to make sure Jake wasn't still waiting; unable to tell if he was relieved or disappointed to find that he wasn't. He grabbed his things, and with a tired sigh, he began to make his way back to the house, and to the familiar, oppressive darkness within. 


	8. A Bitter Pill To Swallow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shoulda posted this a couple hours ago but i kept falling asleep while editing (sorry!)
> 
> Parts made me laugh  
> Parts nade ne cry
> 
> Im very emotional right now XD (AND SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! DO YOU KNOW WHYYYYYY??!!!)
> 
> Also - i may be being stolen away to that hellish place again; the wifi-less caravan... but, i have a LOT of one shots i want to do, one of which being a halloween fic - and another that i thoight up today, based on the song Only You (sorry not sorry - songfics ftw) i actually wrote a south park one earlier this year which ended up 30k and 6 chapters - totally non smut but just... poignant. To date its the highest viewed tjing i have written lmfao XD anyway... its just... urgh, too many ideas in my head - at least if i am wifi less i will be forced to work on those lol
> 
> Anyway, enough babbles from me! I hope you enjoy the chapter! Lemme know whatcha think please ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**8.**

**A Bitter Pill To Swallow**.

_Ten years ago..._

At the house in the woods, leaves crunched underfoot, as Taylor stepped out into the clearing. "See?" He called over his shoulder, grinning as he glanced back at his closest friends. "It's right where we said..."

"Holy crud, dude..!" Diego gasped, his eyes wide as he followed close on Taylors heels, looking around the small clearing in awe.

"You guys were for _real?"_ Sean choked, as he followed them through the edge of the trees, staring in disbelief at the decrepit little house, secreted away by a wall of trees on all sides.

"Told you so!" Taylors best friend said hotly, poking out their tongue in irritation, as they scowled around the group.

"Aw, man!" Zahra crowed excitedly, her hugh bound pigtails bouncing as she ran around the clearing as close to the house as she dared. "Is this where the monster grabbed you?!" She asked eagerly, glancing back at Taylor as he strolled closer fearlessly.

"Yeah..." Said his friend, swallowing heavily as they noticeably kept their distance, understandably hesitant to get too close again. "It was right in the door there."

Taylor knew it was wise to be so cautious, would be wiser still for him to be keeping his distance himself; but no matter how much he told himself this, he still found his feet inexplicably drawn closer to the house. 

 _"Cooool..!"_ Zahra cackled,creeping closer to the outside of the house, examining the tree roots twisting through the windows and ceiling.

"It is so _not_ cool, guys!" Raj insisted, trading a scowl between Taylor and his younger cousin. "I can't believe you guys came out here and didn't tell me! You could have gotten _hurt,_ little doodlejumpers!"

"It's okay..." His younger cousin said, a shy smile lighting their face as they looked over at Taylor with a hint of a blush in their cheeks, as he stared at the house intently. "Taylor was here to protect me."

"Well, y-yeah..." Raj began, worrying his lip as he glanced over at Taylor uncertainly. "I know, but-"

"So what, exactly, happened again?" Aleister demanded, scowling at the small, decrepit house distastefully. His shockingly white hair seemed strangely out of place beside the dark house, and Taylor had to fight off a grin as he snapped out of his daze to answer his friend.

"We got close to the door, and then Redfield tried to suck us in... like a big vacuum!" He explained again, reaching out to steady Rebecca as she hopped daintily off of a fallen tree trunk.

"Wait, _'Redfield'?"_ She asked, her grey eyes widening as she huddled closer to his side. "How d'ya know its _name?"_ She whispered, shivering as Taylor grinned at her.

"I _asked,"_ he said proudly, his eyes alight with amusement. "And then he scratched it out on the floor."

"And then he _stole my necklace!"_ His best friend cried, scowling at the little house in furious outrage, but noticeably keeping their distance.

 _"Aaaah,_ that's so _creepy!"_ Zahra droned, the metal studs on her small leather jacket glinting in the sun as she darted around the outside of the dilapidated house, trying to spy the monster within. "I _love_ it!"

Quinn called to them from nearby, gazing down at something beside her sadly, as she leaned against a  tree. "There's a dead bird over here..." She said distractedly, her breath coming in shallow pants as she toyed with the end of her long braid. "This place is weird." She murmured quietly, gazing around the clearing tiredly. "... I want to leave!" 

"No _way,_ man!" Sean growled, scowling at the house as he balled his hands into fists, the faintest hint of a bruise showing from beneath the collar of his football shirt. "Let's get in there already and kick that things ass!"

"I think we should go inside." Taylor agreed eagerly, finding himself just as drawn to the strange building as he was during his first visit.

"Heck yeah!" Zahra crowed, offering her fist to him as he made his way to the entrance to the house, and bumping their fists together firmly.

"I ain't goin' in there!" Rebecca cried, shaking her head as Taylor and Zahra peered through the dark doorway. "Are you _insane?!"_ She demanded hotly.

"Well, if _Rebecca's_ not going, then _I'm_ staying outside too." Quinn called, pushing off from her tree slowly and moving toward the other redhead, the pair holding hands as she came to stand beside her.

 _"Arghhh!"_ Zahra sneered, scowling at the pair in frustration. "You guys _never_ wanna do cool stuff!" She scoffed angrily, crossing her arms as she looked away from them.

A high pitched cry suddenly pierced the air, a shrill trilling which had them all covering their ears with cries of shock. "That's my whistle!" Cried Raj's slightly younger cousin, gazing at the broken house in disbelief. "Mr. Red, he's-" They gasped, their expression quickly bleeding from shock to fury, as their cheeks puffed out irritably. "He's makin' _fun_ of us!"

Taylor gazed through the dark doorway, recalling the last time he'd dared to enter the ramshackle building, as the whistle continued to toot cheerfully from within; as if daring him to go after it. "Well, _that_ settles it." Raj huffed sternly, strolling across the clearing to his cousin and taking them by the hand. "Now we're _definitely_ not going in."

"What?" His cousin gasped, their eyes widening comically as they looked up at him in confusion. "Why?"

"Uh, 'cause it's _obviously_ a trap, little doodlejump!" Raj huffed, scowling down at them as they began to struggle, trying to free their hand.

 _"Exactly!"_ Rebecca said, nodding her head in agreement with Raj, as Quinn seemed to recover some of her spent energy from their journey through the woods, looking around the clearing curiously; though she nodded along with Rebecca and Raj's rejection of the house.

 _"Urghhh..."_ Zahra sighed, her face falling as she turned to look at the house behind her longingly. "But, what if we got Jake to come, and record it on his new phone? We could send it to those ghost hunter guys on tv!" She enthused, though she reluctantly moved away from the entrance.

"No way!" Rebecca snarled, scowling over at Zahra furiously. "I ain't goin' in some creepy hole to get eaten, _especially_ with my stupid brother!" She insisted hotly, as Taylor turned and raised a curious brow at her. 

"I don't think your brothers stupid..." He said quietly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he poked his tongue into the gap in his teeth. "He's brave, he'd lead us in there!"

"That's _exactly_ why he's so stupid!" Rebecca scoffed, grimacing at the floor. "Jake's got this dumb itch under his skin, if its a bad idea, he'll probably do it; especially if it annoys mom and dad." She complained, as Taylor sighed and decided to let the touchy subject go.

Taylor felt something inside him sink despondently, as he reluctantly turned his back on the house and over at his friend, restrained by their slightly older cousin. "Sorry, dude..."

His friend tore their hand free from Raj, balling their fists tightly as their face turned red from mounting fury, as the mocking whistling continued. They growled, and stamped their foot on the ground in a rage. "Screw _you,_ Mr. Red!" They cried, their eyes welling with the years of frustration.

As they all turned to go however, the whistling suddenly died down, and another noise began to sound from within the little broken house.

 "... _wait..."_

As they all glanced back, something tint flew out from inside the house, bouncing off Raj's cousins chest, and landing in their hands. "M-my whistle?!" They gasped, their eyes wide in surprise.

 _"... give back... stay... sorry_..."

 _"Dude!"_ Diego cried, running over to Taylors side and clutching at his arm in disbelief, as he grinned back at the house. Diego shook his head slightly, before following Taylors gaze toward the house.

"Just what kind of monster _apologizes?"_ Aleister demanded, staring at the house thoughtfully, as he tugged at the collar of his jacket.

"Sh-should we... talk to it?" Sean asked, swallowing heavily at his unfamiliar sense of uncertainty. The rest of Taylors friends exchanged hesitant glances, as he stepped forward in a show of confidence.

"M-Mister Red?" He called, sensing the being within was listening to him carefully. "... What _are_ you?" He asked curiously, slowly creeping closer to the house.

 _"... friend... magic... secret_..." 

"Whoa, this is so _cooool,_ dude!" Diego gushed, hurrying up to Taylors side and grabbing his arm, and meeting his gaze with an excited grin as they crept closer together.

"Oh yeah, _that's_ not weird." Rebecca scoffed, folding her arms over her chest as she watched them unsubtly head towards the house with a scowl. "Ya _so_ gullible! I can't believe ya just-" her furious scolding fell silent however, as a gust of golden leaves blew through the clearing.

"G-guys! _Look!"_ Quinn gasped, pointing towards the tree she had been leaning against, at the far edge of the clearing. 

Taylor followed the direction of her finger, to see a bundle of slender vines begin to move on their own. They snaked their way across the clearing, seizing gild of the dead bird which Quinn had noticed previously. The birds small body shuddered, as hair thin roots began to permeate the dead flesh like veins. Taylor stared in fascination, as it flopped onto its side, its tiny feet clawing at the air.

"No frickin' _way!"_ Sean choked, staring at the phenomena in awed disbelief as the rest of the group slowly came to huddle together in the centre of the clearing; as the bird jerkily got to its feet, chirping merrily. 

Taylor felt his heart lurch as it looked up at him, bright amber flames burning where its eyes should have been. "... _Incredible."_ Aleister murmured quietly, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Did you guys _see_ that?!" Zahra demanded, trading fist bumps with anyone who wasn't too stunned to respond.

"Mr. Red brought the bird back to life." Taylor said, smiling as he stepped forward and held out his hand to the bird fearlessly.

"Is it _really_ alive?" Quinn asked dubiously, taking a step back to counter Taylors approach to the animal. "It looks sick or something... I don't think I like this."

"Are you _kidding?"_ Diego cried, leaning over Taylors shoulder eagerly, hoping to see his friend tame the arisen animal. "This is _amazing!_ It's like when Michael and KITT had to goto that Indian burial ground, and-"

"Oh, _do_ desist in your prattling." Aleister sneered, folding his arms over his chest as he averted his gaze, his cheeks stained a faint pink. "Not all of us have seen all the episodes yet..."

"Dude, is that your way of saying 'no spoilers'?" Diego laughed, moving away from Taylor to nudge Aleister playfully, the other boy scowling at him as he straightened his unaffected jacket.

"I still dunno, guys..." Rebecca sighed, ignoring the now bickering Aleister and Diego, as she frowned toward Taylor worriedly.

"Well, _they're_ the ones who got grabbed..." Diego interjected, as he and Aleister paused their bickering to peer around the group briefly.

"This is true." Aleister reluctantly conceded, dipping his head toward Diego in acknowledgement, as Diego rolled his eyes and mockingly poked out his tongue. "As the injured parties, what do _you_ think?"

"Um... _hmm..."_ Raj's cousin hummed uncertainly, glancing over at Taylor as he watched the bird with a soft smile. He looked around when his friends fell silent, blinking in surprise.

"Me?" He asked, turning to face them all. "I think we should give Mr. Red a chance... Its hardly fair to judge him because of just one thing he did..." He said, wrinkling his nose as he turned towards the house with a small, shy smile. "We don't know anything about Mr. Red."

 _"Exactly!"_ Zahra crowed, darting back over to the house and running her hands over one of the tangled roots protruding through a window.

"But he's still... I dunno... _creepy!"_ Rebecca protested, thought she cautiously approached Taylors side, her hand slipping into his own.

"Let's make a deal." He said, looking at her with a wide smile, undeniable excitement bubbling in his gaze. "We'll all come back here tomorrow, but we'll be careful and stick together." He offered, though it was clear from his almost giddy expression he didn't believe it was a necessary precaution.

"That's a good rule." Sean said, joining the group before the house and clapping a hand onto Taylors shoulder. "We only play with Mr. Red, if _everyone's_ okay with it."

"Which will allow us to feel both safe and secure, as we watch over each other." Aleister agreed, standing at the back of the group, and scowling as Diego attached himself to his side.

"Well... That sounds good to me." Rebecca finally admitted, squeezing Taylors hand as she slowly began to smile. "Everyone agree? Nobody visits Mr. Red alone?" She asked, looking pointedly at Taylor.

Taylor smiled, his heart light as it began to race in excitement, feeling the strange connection he had to this curious place surge within his chest. "Yeah." He said softly, smiling around his friends gratefully. " _Everyone plays together_."

"Agreed!" Quinn giggled, taking Taylors other hand as she and Rebecca suddenly hugged him from both sides, making him laugh in surprise.

"Sweet." Zahra said, hanging from the branch in the window, having partially climbed it. "Let's pound it." She said, dropping to her feet and stomping over with a grin. She thrust her fist out before Taylor, the others slowly forming a circle around them so they were all able to mimic her gesture. Taylor raised his eyes to find himself opposite Raj's cousin, and his eyes locked onto them. They smiled, clutching their whistle tightly as they bumped their fist to Taylors with a laugh.

 _"Sweeeet!"_ Diego cheered, looking around the group excitedly. "Back to my house for lunch? Mom's making mac and cheese!"

"Oh man, we _gotta_ go!" Zahra insisted immediately, grabbing Diego's hand and dragging him back towards the woods. "Mrs. Soto makes it with hot dog pieces!" Taylor laughed, bringing up the res of the group with Raj's cousin.

As they reached the trees, his friend turned back a d called over their shoulder. "Bye, Mr. Red! We'll come back and play with you again tomorrow!" There was no reply from within the abandoned building, but Taylor heard the once dead bird screech a farewell, and glanced back to see it's amber eyes burning bright in the shadow of a tree.

_Present day..._

Taylor sighed, rubbing his eyes as he trudged down the hall to his locker at the end of a long school day, still tired from having laid awake so late; lost to memories which had eventually also consumed his scattered dreams. _It all seemed so easy back then_. He thought, running his hand up and over his face, tugging at his hair to try and wake himself up a little.

" _Aleister Rourke, to the principal's office please_." An announcement buzzed over his head, making him jump in surprise. He frowned, turning back the way he'd come thoughtfully.

 _Is this about yesterday_? He wondered, his eyes widening as he was struck by sudden concern for his friend. _Oh god, what if Mrs. Montoya already told Principal Hall about Aleister, and the aids and- oh god, what if they're gonna blame him_?! He mentally panicked, jogging back down the hall and taking a sharp right, pausing as he saw Aleister step into the principal's office and close the door behind him. He bit his lip as he frowned, and crept closer to the door, peeking through the frosted glass pointlessly, before facing forward again. _I am just gonna make sure he isn't in trouble. I am not spying or eavesdropping or... anything else creepy_. He told himself, though the flutter of disbelief in his gut said otherwise.

"You wished to see me, ma'am?" Aleister drawled respectfully, as Taylor cocked his head and tried to quiet his noisily pounding heart.

"Yes." Replied the principal, Blaire Hall. "I thought you ought to be the first to hear the news about Mrs. Montoya... considering you were there, for the attack." She said slowly, as Taylor felt his hear lurch at the memory of the snake, before it began to sink in dread. 

 _They can't seriously believe Aleister would've... **could've,** done such a thing_..? He told himself, shaking his head as he swallowed heavily.

"Oh good heavens, _please_ don't tell me she's-" Aleister pleaded, sounding unusually emotional in his obvious concern.

"Mrs. Montoya is stable." Principal Hall reassured, and Taylor exhaled heavily in relief, able to hear Aleister di the sane within the office. "The EMTs were able to administer an anti-venom... thanks to your quick actions."

Taylor felt relief course through him, certain they couldn't be about to blame Aleister for the incident, if they were first praising his rapid response. _"Ahem..._ It was nothing." Aleister said stiffly, and Taylor turned his head toward the door as the principal scoffed.

"It was certainly _not_ nothing." She insisted, and Taylor felt a half grin tug at his lips, imagining his friend rolling his eyes and sneering discreetly. "The hospital said another ten minutes, and Mrs. Montoya could have died. She's lucky you were there."

 _"Lucky."_ Aleister repeated, the faintest hint of derision buried beneath his respectful tone of voice. "Indeed." He added, clearing his throat.

"Of course, there is still the question of _how_ a rattlesnake got into Mrs. Montoya's desk in the first place..." The principal sighed, as Taylor covered his mouth, hoping to stifle his quiet choke of concern.

"Do you have any theories on the matter, at present?" Aleister asked stiffly, clearly thinking along similar lines as Taylor; something which made Taylor desperately want to laugh, as he imagined his pale friends horror.

"Well, to be honest, I was hoping _you_ could help with that." The principal admitted, and Taylor frowned, as he heard a tapping sound strike up within the office, like a pen upon a desk. "Have you heard anything? Chatter in the halls? An odd text message?"

"I-" Aleister began, before pausing in obvious shock. Taylor shifted as quietly as he could, as he heard his friend clear his throat. "Excuse my ignorance, but... Am I to understand, I am _not_ a suspect?"

"What? No, of _course_ not!" The principal huffed, the tapping sound stopping as the principal chuckled quietly. "I mean, if you were any other student, _sure._ But we all know you're not capable of something like this!" The principal assured, as Taylor pouted at the obvious favoritism. "Besides, with all your extracurricular activities, I bet you barely have enough time to catch a movie, let alone a rattlesnake."

 _"Ahem,_ yes." Aleister said awkwardly, clearly uncertain whether to be relieved of his assumed innocence or disturbed by his apparent free pass from suspicion. "Very astute."

"So, any ideas?" The principal pressed, sounding almost desperate as she steered the conversation back on point.

Aleister was silent for a long pause, enough that Taylor began to genuinely worry he might actually be about to throw someone under the bus, when finally the pale boy sighed. "I'm sorry." He said, clearing his throat delicately. "But I'm afraid I cannot be of assistance in this matter. I've heard nothing."

The principal sighed, as Taylor relaxed, smiling softly even as he shook his head at his friends sense of honour and pride. "I was afraid you'd say that." Principal Hall said, the sound of her palm slapping her desk ringing through the office door. _"Damn!_ I mean... darn." She said, the sound of fingers tapping on the desk resuming briefly, before a chair rolled across the floor suddenly. "Actually, no. I _do_ mean damn. It's bad enough we've got bears and wild dogs..! Now we've got snakes, too?" She fumed, the sound of quickly clicking footsteps informing Taylor that the woman was pacing furiously in her office.

"Well, it that was all..?" Aleister drawled questioningly, the muffled sound of a bag being swung drifting through the office door. "If I hear anything, I will be sure to inform someone." He promised.

"Thank you, Aleister. That will be all." He heard the principal call, and Taylor panicked suddenly, flustered as he realised Aleister was about to exit the office and catch him in his definitely not spying. "Oh, by the way..." The principal called, providing Taylor a moment to escape, though he ignored it, drawn closer to the door instead by the woman's suddenly curious tone. "I got an email from Mrs. Montoya about setting up a meeting with your aunt, but she didn't say _why..."_ She said, as Taylors breath caught, imagining his friends sudden sense of fear. "Any idea what that's about?" He peeked around the corner and watched Aleister's silhouette through the frosted glass, as he slowly turned toward the principal.

Taylor swallowed at the heavy silence from his friend, before Aleister cleared his throat suddenly and seemed to shrug in a vague and nonchalant manner. "I'm afraid not, ma'am." He said stiffly, as Taylor bit his lip and glanced down the deserted hall, trying to quietly back away. "I don't believe she said anything to me..."

Taylor hesitated, feeling sweat bead on his brow as the principal remained studiously silent for a long pause, his heart racing on behalf of his friend, until the principal hummed loudly and he heard the sound of a chair once more rolling across the floor. "Well, I'm sure it wasn't that important then... I'll ask her when she wakes up." She said, as Taylor choked on his shock.

"Excuse me but, _wake up_?" Aleister repeated, clearly startled by the revelation. "What do you mean?" He demanded, as Taylor felt his heart lurch nervously.

"Oh, did I leave that part out?" The principal asked, as Taylor took a hesitant step closer to the door again. "Mrs. Montoya is still unresponsive, I'm afraid. But the doctors say..." She said, but the remainder of her words disappeared beneath the roar of blood pounding through Taylors ears. He stared down the hallway vacantly, thinking of the three people laying in the hospital right now, their lives on hold because of Redfield's apparent interjection in their lives.

 _Because I said we should give him a chance_... He thought, swallowing heavily as he shrank back down the hall, slowly moving away towards his locker. _Diego, that asshat Ben, now Mrs. Montoya_... He thought, shaking his head as he blindly entered the code for his locker and traded out the books he wouldn't need for his homework that night. _Oh god... What next? Sean's getting to play in the game, Aleister's precarious position as class president, Rebecca getting back at Michelle... Oh my god... Please don't let my parents suddenly show up and start apologi_ \- his increasingly distressed thoughts were cut off, when a hand planted itself firmly on the cuff of his vest, steering him down the hall to an abandoned classroom. _"Hey!"_ He protested, preparing to fight despite being caught unawares, when he was released suddenly and confronted with a familiar, irritated drawl.

"Honestly, Taylor, does your stupidity know no bounds?" Aleister demanded, scowling and folding his arms over his chest imperiously, as Taylor turned to face him.

 _"Aleister?!"_ He choked, rubbing the back of his neck as his brows rose in surprise. "What the _hell?_ You scared the crap outta me, asshole!" He said, pouting at the indignant pale boy. 

"What in heavens did you think you were doing, spying on me?" Aleister demanded, as Taylor winced and bit his lip guiltily.

"I wasn't _spying..!"_ He protested weakly, fiddling with the hem of his net sleeve. "You say it like that, and I sound like some creepy fan boy..." He muttered, quickly clearing his throat and raising his hands in placation, as Aleister's pale complexion began to redden. "Okay, alright, _fine!_ I just... I heard the announcement and, after everything that happened yesterday, I just... I wanted to make sure you were okay. That they weren't going to try and blame you, and I _swear!_ If they had, I would have vouched for you in a heartbeat!" He said, as Aleister rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, of course, because announcing our deceit would work wonders to clear my name." The pale boy scoffed, pinching the brow of his nose as Taylor hung his head slightly.

"... How'd you even know I was there..?" He finally asked, peeking up at his friend curiously, as Aleister snorted and looked up at him with a sardonic grin.

 _"You_ are as subtle as a brick to the face, Taylor." Aleister sneered, as Taylor flushed and averted his gaze. "You're not only the only person anywhere near the principal's office, but you're staring off into space, muttering to yourself about ridiculous theories; which all trace back to a very tragic, but very distant past. That, and you're covered in the fresh paint from the wall outside Principal Halls office." 

Taylor flushed a deep, burning shade of red as he fought to keep holding his head high. "Well, at least you know I care." He sniffed, turning away with a huff and discreetly checking over his shoulder to find he did in fact have paint brushed across him. "Aw, _man..."_ He complained, grimacing as he wondered whether he would be able to get the paint out if he washed his clothes by hand that night.

"You're one of the most ridiculous people I've ever met, Taylor." Aleister sighed, approaching Taylor as he turned back to face him with a reproachful pout. "Nevertheless... I am pleased to know you were concerned for me." He said, briefly patting Taylors shoulder, before quickly retracting his hand again.

"Aleister..." Taylor choked, his hand rising to his chest as his lower lip trembled, causing Aleister to groan and roll his eyes again in expectation. "That's probably... The nicest thing you've ever said. And I mean ever, not just to me... So I feel _double_ touched." He said with a chuckle, before sighing wistfully. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to just be touched, let alone double touched..." He sighed, as Aleister grimaced and stalked back to the doorway. "And preferably by Becca's _really_ gorgeous bro-"

"If you're _quite_ finished trying to instill traumatizing images into my brain, I believe the others are waiting for us." Aleister sneered, cutting Taylor off abruptly. Taylor laughed and perked, quickly following after the pale boy eagerly, as he led him out of the school and around towards the rear parking lot.

He frowned as they rounded the corner to meet their friends, the both of them slowing and exchanging an uncertain glance, upon discovering an unwelcome addition to the group. "What the _hell_ took you guys so long? What, Taylor need the class president to hold his hand down the hall now?" Michelle demanded, tossing her hair over her shoulder in irritation.

Taylor's expression morphed into a scowl, easily matching Michelle's in its vehemence. "What the hell is Bootlegger Barbie doing here?" He fumed, though his eyes lit with satisfaction at Michelle's obvious outrage over his nickname for her.

"An astute question," Aleister drawled, glancing at Taylor as his lips twitched with amusement. "How unusual for Taylor."

"Why do I get the feeling I was just both praised _and_ insulted?" Taylor asked, frowning as he ignored Michelle in favour of pouting at the clearly amused Aleister.

"She didn't suffer a major concussion, and wander here in a semi-conscious fugue." Zahra informed them, shrugging her shoulders negligently when the group all turned to look at her with curiously raised brows. "I already asked."

"Never change, Zahra." Taylor huffed, moving closer to bump his fist to the smirking girl. _"Never_ change." 

Michelle rolled her eyes, half turning away with a sigh. "What I'm doing here is _leaving,_ don't worry." She huffed, sneering at Taylor briefly. "I just came by to..." Michelle paused, and Rebecca nudged her with her foot. The blonde scowled, continuing through clenched teeth, as Taylor felt a spike of concern in his gut, his eyes flicking worriedly to Rebecca before quickly returning to Michelle. "... To invite you to my party at my house this Saturday." The blonde finally spat with a grimace, as if the words themselves caused her physical pain.

"Wow." Raj said slowly, exhaling a deep breath as he scratched his head thoughtfully. "Did _not_ expect that." He finally said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You sure about that concussion?" Sean murmured quietly, as he and Michelle pointedly tried to avoid looking at each other.

"Potato, po-tah-to." Zahra said dismissively, as she shrugged again to show that she neither knew or cared either way.

"You're inviting _us_ to your party?" Taylor asked, glancing at Rebecca's smug grin, his heart beginning to stutter nervously. "Sounds suspicious if you ask me..." He muttered, glancing away briefly as Rebecca looked over at him with a frown. "What?" He demanded hotly, his brow creasing into a scowl as the discomfort he felt over Rebecca's easy switch from blackmail victim to blackmailer, overwhelmed him. "Why the _hell_ would she wants us at her party? It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, or a prank or... something else that's really unpleasant. Like herpes."

"Taylor, sweetie, what have we said about stopping while you're ahead?" Quinn murmured in his ear, setting her hand on his arm and squeezing gently. He looked up at her, and felt his flare of temper fade, as the confliction in the redheads gaze caused his heart to ache.

"Great! Then _don't_ come!" Michelle said brightly, though she looked noticeably distracted by Quinn's apparent closeness to Taylor.

 _"C'mon,_ guys!" Rebecca insisted, walking over to throw her arms around Quinn and Taylors shoulders with a bright smile, and stomping discreetly but firmly on Taylors foot. "Michelle's told me how she wants to turn over a new leaf, ya know? To stop bein' such a jerk to people... Right, _Meech?"_

Michelle huffed, folding her arms over her chest as she glared at Rebecca. "Yeah. _Totally."_

"Well, this is more weird to add to the weird pile." Zahra snorted, her brow furrowing as she looked over at Michelle thoughtfully. "Are we sure this isn't Mr. Re-" Sean nudged Zahra hard in the ribs, jerking his head towards Michelle. Zahra crossed her arms, and glared at him fiercely. _"Fine._ But we're gonna have a talk about all this later." She sniffed, before looking away to scowl across the grounds.

"Yeah!" Raj cried, laughing awkwardly as he removed his hat and ran a hand over his tied up hair. "We'll talk about that, uh, school project. For that class we have. That Michelle isn't in." He said, replacing his hat as his cheeks darkened, his eyes wide as he gazed around the group nervously.

"Okay, whatever you're talking about?" Michelle sneered, scowling up at Raj in irritation. "Yeah, I _super_ don't care."

"We're..." Quinn began, pausing as she glanced over at Taylor uncertainly. He sighed and aoread his palms, gesturing for her to decide for herself. After another seconds pause, Quinn looked over at Michelle with a small, hopeful smile. "We're really all invited to your party?"

Michelle looked over at Quinn, her expression softening slightly as she met the redheads crystalline gaze. "Yeah, really." She said, a similarly hopeful smile blossoming on her face. "Does that mean _you're_ coming..?" She asked tentatively, as Taylor hummed quietly, thinking that the blonde was far prettier when she let herself be genuine.

"Of course! I mean, so long as... everyone else..." Quinn stammered, looking quickly at Taylor, who rolled his eyes and heaved a long suffering sigh as he slowly nodded and winked. Quinn broke out in a radiant smile, turning back to Michelle with joy dancing in her eyes. "I would love to!"

 _"Great!"_ Michelle exclaimed, sounding genuinely relieved and pleased for the first time Taylor could remember. "Make sure you save me a dance." She added, toying with her hair briefly, before throwing a final glare at Rebecca and turning to stalk away toward the bus stop.

Taylor discreetly pulled Rebecca aside, lowering his voice so the others couldn't hear, as they discussed the upcoming party. "Rebecca, you're playing with fire here... You need to be _careful!_ This isn't the sort of thing you should be messing about with!" He warned in a hiss, glancing after Michelle, though the blonde was plenty far enough that he wasn't concerned with her overhearing them. "Don't you think its a little hypocritical? I mean, I know she made your life hell, but-"

"Taylor _please,_ I know what I'm doin' here, okay?" Rebecca assured, brushing aside his various warnings and concerns with a dismissive wave of her hand."Just trust me."

Taylor sighed, shaking his head worriedly as he looked straight into her grey eyes. "Becca... are you _sure_ about all this?" He asked tiredly, worrying his lip as her gaze softened. "What if..." He began, only to sigh and run a hand through his hair in defeat. "You're sure she doesn't have other copies..?"

"She _did."_ Rebecca admitted, smiling and drawing him into a hug as she tried to soothe his concerns. "But, I'm pretty sure I got them all. I scoured all her social media accounts, I even deleted the automatic backup on the cloud!"

"Becca..." He sighed, his arms wrapping around her shoulders as he swayed them back and forth slowly. _"Please,_ just be carefu-"

"Not to break up this super cool and fun whispering thing you've got going on," Zahra called, eyeing them with both suspicion and amusement. "But visiting hours are over in, like, ninety minutes."

"Yeah, doodlejumps, we gonna go see Diego or what?" Raj asked, throwing his arm around Quinn's shoulder and holding her close as she smiled over at them fondly.

"Sorry!" Taylor called, his heart lurching as he thought of his comatose best friend, yearning to see him. "We're coming!"

"I can fit five in my car, I brought the Jag..." Rebecca called, laughing when the others clamoured to hurry over to the comfy car. "Aleister, you be able to take someone too?" She asked, turning towards him curiously. 

The pale boy to started at the sound of his name, blinking as he looked around, clearly having been lost somewhere else. "Hmm? Oh, yes, of course." He said, running a hand over his hair as he turned toward his car, leaving them to decide who was coming coming with him.

Taylor rolled his eyes as Rebecca unlocked her car, letting Zahra, Sean, Raj and Quinn pile inside eagerly. "Yo, Zahra, trade you for the front seat." Sean said, leaning forward from in the back. "These shoulders don't like the backseat."

"Bite me, dork." Zahra said, offering her middle finger in response to his request, smirking as all the doors pulled closed behind his friends.

"Guess that means you got me, Aleister." Taylor snickered, feigning an aggrieved scowl as he turned to find Aleister waiting beside his car, his arms folded on the roof.

"Hm?" He hummed again, his clouded gaze clearing slightly as he looked over at Taylor distractedly. "Oh... indeed." He said, clearing his throat as he shook himself, unlocking the car and allowing them both to climb in and apply their seatbelts, before starting up the engine, and following Rebecca out of the parking lot.

The inside of Aleister's car was silent, as the pale boy stared through the windshield, hardly seeming to notice Taylors presence at all. Taylor cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing up at his friend worriedly. "Hey... you doing okay?" He asked gently, frowning at Aleister's distant manner.

"Of course." Aleister replied, never soaring a glance for Taylor, as he continued to stare ahead, though Taylor wasn't entirely convinced he was even seeing the road.

"You sure about that?" He pressed, hesitating a moment, before fidgeting in his seat slightly. "Because, I heard... about Mrs. Montoya." He said tactfully, averting his eyes for a moment as he debated how much to push his friend. "You saved her _life,_ Aleister. I don't think I could have done that... It must have been terrifying when that snake first attac-"

"Taylor, at the risk of repeating myself by phrasing this politely; _shut up_." Aleister drawled, finally glancing at him briefly. "You and I both know you'd have done exactly the same in my position, and despite how 'terrifying' the attack was, you were still enough of an idiot, to first think going after the godforsaken thing, was the best course of action." He huffed, his brow furrowing as he shook his head slightly at the memory. "Kindly desist your needless worrying. I am perfectly _fine,_ I assure you."

"You know, nobody's here, Mr. I can do everything all by myself." Taylor groused, folding his arms over his chest as he scowled at the pale boy. "I'm a part of this too. I know what you're going through right now."

A bitter laugh escaped Aleister, and he shook his head as if trying to clear it. "My apologies, Taylor." He said after a moment, clearing his throat. "I just find it difficult to believe you can help with this... Or indeed, understand." He said delicately.

Taylor scowled at his friend, his teeth clenching and unclenching briefly, as a sneer twisted his lips. He opened his mouth to express his irritation, when Aleister sighed and began to tap at the steering wheel in agitation, glancing over at him briefly. "I..." He began, before swallowing heavily and cocking his head, seemingly to find the words again. "I have... _erred."_ He said, glancing at Taylor as he raised a brow and chuckling quietly. "I screwed up badly." He finally admitted, his voice heavy with regret and yet lightening in relief for having finally said the words. "I am... surprisingly concerned as to what you'll think of me, should you discover what I've-"

 "So, does this have to do with the whole 'you using study aids' thing..?" Taylor asked abruptly, causing Aleister's hands to begin shaking on the wheel as a quiet huff of air escaped him. The pale boy sniffed, reaching up to wipe at his eyes.

"You really are an appalling little eavesdropper, aren't you?" He sneered, though the severity of the words was distinctly lacking. "Those accusations were unfounded." He said stiffly, before falling poignantly silent. There was a long pause, before the pale boy sighed tiredly. "Would you kindly pass me a tissue, please?" He finally asked, gesturing vaguely towards the passenger side of the car.

"Uh, sure..." Taylor hedged, uncertain if the other boy was merely avoiding the issue or whether he would give him a proper answer later. "In here..?" He asked, opening the glove compartment.

"Wait, _no!"_ Aleister cried, lunging over to stop him and yanking the steering wheel in the process. The car swerved toward the lane of oncoming traffic, as Taylor gasped.

 _"Aleister!"_ He yelled, shoving his shoulder into Aleister's to force him back to his seat and grabbing the wheel, jerking it hard to return the correct lane and avoid a collision. "Godammit, asshole! What the _hell?!_ I don't care if you're on study aids, you idiot, you don't have to hide it from me!" He snarked, scowling as he gestured to the now open glove compartment, where several small plastic bottles with white caps could be seen. "Okay, maybe I _care_ that you're on them but... Jesus Aleister, I'm not going bloody _judge_ you!" He fumed, as Aleister stoically stared ahead, his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly.

Taylor simmered in his frustration a moment longer, but when Aleister pointedly remained silent, he shook his head and turned instead to the small bottles. _"Don't..."_ Aleister said quietly, as he reached forward to pick up a bottle.

"Shut up, asshole." Taylor grumbled, already turning it to read the label. "So... these are focus pills." He said irritably, scowling down at the little bottle angrily.

"... Yes." Aleister finally sighed, though Taylor couldn't tell if it was from relief or defeat.

"The label has your aunt's name on them..." Taylor said, frowning as he read the disgustingly small writing. "What'd you do? Steal her prescription pad, and forge her signature?" He scoffed, looking up when Aleister remained pointedly silent. "Oh..." He said quietly, as he noticed the pale boys locked jaw, and knuckle whitening grip on the steering wheel. "Oh, Aleister..."

"I neither need nor want your pity!" Aleister fumed suddenly, glaring through the windshield furiously. "I..." He began, only to pause a moment later, the fight seeming to drain from his posture. "It was last month."

"... You're a goddamn idiot." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he scowled down at the little bottle in his hands a moment, before looking back up at his friend. "What the _hell_ possessed you to do it, dude?"

"I..." Aleister began, only to fall silent again for such a lo g period that Taylor thought he would never answer him. "My father was the CEO of Rourke International, which is now one of the largest and well known companies in the world; a company I am expected to take control of, as soon as my education is finally complete. My mother was a science genius, who made massive leaps and bounds in the field of cloning; which has helped save many a life... My parents were beyond gifted-"

"You never knew your parents." Taylor interrupted, raising a skeptical brow at his friend. "So you had better not be giving me the 'I just wanted to do them proud' spiel, because if so; I'm telling you right now, I call bullshit." He said firmly, as Aleister chuckled in surprise.

"Not exactly, no." Aleister said, shaking his head at Taylors forwardness. "My point is merely that, expectations were always high in my life... My aunt herself, is now an especially talented doctor, after she worked three jobs to put herself through college. She got a full ride to Harvard Medical."

"Wow, Aleister, how wonderfully impressive for them." Taylor groused, rolling his eyes. "But, you do realise these people _are not you?_ I mean, surely just being related to so many apparent geniuses would give you a hint that _this?"_ He said, holding up the little bottle, before tossing it back into the glove compartment. "Is a pretty fucking bad idea..."

"I'm aware that nothing can excuse what I've done..." Aleister said stiffly, glancing at him briefly before looking back at the road. "I merely wished to explain... Everything I do is measured against my parents, you see..." He said, swallowing heavily as his gaze turned distant _. "'At your age, your father had started his own company. At your age, your mother had three patents. At your age, I was studying, working and caring for you_.'" He said bitterly, his hand tightening on the steering wheel again briefly. "I'm already so far behind them all... and my aunt cannot hide the disappointment she feels. I see it in her eyes, every time she looks at me."

 _"Pfft,_ and you think _this_ is gonna change her opinion?" Taylor snorted, gesturing to the little bottled with a frown, his irritation softening despite his attempts to keep it alive, his thoughts drawn unwillingly to his own parents; and their feelings toward him. _Would I have gone to such lengths to make them proud, if they hadn't_ \- he bit the thought off quickly, shaking his head minutely as he pushed his own feelings aside and refocused on his friend. 

"I could not think of anything else to do..." Aleister admitted quietly, sighing heavily as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I was already overloaded on classes, and I was no longer sleeping... I was at my limit, Taylor, and I could feel myself failing. I needed... _help."_ He said awkwardly, as if the very word tasted dirty on his tongue. "The first week, was _astounding..._ The level of energy I had was invigorating on its own, and I never became distracted once I set my mind to something. I finished two college applications in a single evening." He said, his eyes wide at the memory of such overwhelming positivity. "But, needless to say, it did not last." He sighed, shaking his head dejectedly.

"I found myself suddenly paranoid all the time. I could not sleep again, even when I tried." He explained, as Taylors heart ached for his friend, and the obvious struggle he'd been living with. "Of course, Mrs. Montoya then became suspicious..."

"Which is why she made you stay behind that day..." Taylor recalled, biting his lip as he lowered his gaze to the floor. "So the snake..."

Aleister sighed, finally meeting Taylors gaze briefly. "It is the only explanation which makes sense." He said, returning his gaze to the road. "... Mr. Red put that snake into Mrs. Montoya's desk to _protect_ me, and my reputation." He said slowly, shaking his head despondently. "It is my fault, that she's in the hospital... and it will be my fault, if she dies."

"That's not true, and you know it." Taylor said quietly, turning to stare out his window in an attempt to hide the guilt and grief he knew must be showing on his face. "... There was only ever one of us who was to blame." He muttered, his hands curling into fists in his lap. He drew in several quick breaths, trying to calm the awful clamouring of his heart. "So." He said suddenly, distracting himself from his own turbulent emotions by reminding himself of his friends. "What are you gonna do now?" He asked, turning back to Aleister, to see the pale boy glaring at the road ahead determinedly.

"First, I'm going to destroy those damnable pills." He said firmly, his lips twitching in faint amusement as Taylor exaggerated an excited cheer. "Then," he added, his amusement fading as his eyes narrowed. "I'm going to do whatever I must, to prevent Mr. Red from hurting anyone else. After that however, I'm... at somewhat of a loss." He said, chuckling faintly as Taylor smiled at him.

"I would suggest talking to your aunt, and reminding her you're actually not either one of your parents, or her. Shockingly." Taylor suggested, snickering when Aleister sighed and rolled his eyes at him.

The pale boy glanced over at him, his pale cheeks colouring with pink. "I, _ahem..._ I am sorry, Taylor." He said awkwardly, staring ahead as Taylor raised a brow at him in confusion. "I know, I have no right to ask anything of you... but-"

"But you're gonna ask me not to tell anyone anyway," Taylor snorted, laughing humourlessly as he shook his head. "Despite the fact that I haven't yet."

"... I merely request time." Aleister confirmed, glancing over at Taylor. "That I might fix this." He added, his piercing gaze sincere in his determination. _"Please."_

Taylor snorted, a small grin hitching the corner of his lips upward. "For what it's worth Aleister, I do understand why you did it... Stupid as it was." He said, shaking his head as his expression darkened. "Your aunt holds you up to an impossible standard, dude. Anyone would crack under that kind of pressure!"

"That does not excuse my actions." Aleister said softly, shaking his head as he pulled off the highway and turned into town.

"No, it doesn't." Taylor agreed, smiling up at his friend warmly. "But you do deserve a chance go make things right."

"I... appreciate your discretion, Taylor." Aleister sighed, noticeably relaxing as he turned the car into the hospital car park. "And I assure you, I'm going to do _everything_ in my power to fix this." He said, finding a space beside Rebecca's car and sliding in beside it.

"Looks like the others beat us here." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he got out if Aleister's car, imagining the rest of their friends childish teasing when they met up inside. "You ready to head in?"

"One moment." Aleister said thoughtfully, and Taylor turned back to the car, to see Aleister leaning across the passenger seat, loading the pill bottles into an old fast food bag. "There's something I must do first." He said, looking up to meet Taylors gaze briefly, before getting out the car and moving toward a narrow alley between departments of the hospital, where he shoved the bag of pills into a large trash can. "There. Be done with you, damned shortcuts." He sneered, scowling at the bag hatefully.

"Proud of you, my dude." Taylor said, clicking his tongue and bumping his fist to Aleister's shoulder fondly, as they headed back out of the alley and around to the front of the building.

"Thankyou, Taylor." Aleister said sincerely, a small smile gracing his lips as they walked into the hospital together. They chatted amicably as they walked through the lobby, touching on lighter subjects such as homecoming and the many good shows Aleister had been missing out on; and Taylor was just launching into a detailed explanation of the emotional depth of Derek Hale, when an outraged cry had him stopping dead in his tracks, his heart seeming to stop altogether.

"How dare you show your face here?" Snarled a voice he hadn't heard in almost four years, though it still haunted the most awful of his dreams. "After everything you've done? Isn't it enough my son is in this place? Have you come to finish him off too?!" 

Taylor swallowed heavily, looking across the hall to see a short woman with dark, curly hair. Her hands were set upon her hips, a furious glare twisting her otherwise beautiful face into a mask of hatred. "Hello, Mrs. Soto..." He said thickly, his voice small as his heart fluttered weakly in his chest, threatening to break at any moment.

"The gall of you..." Diego's mother spat, as Aleister raised a brow and looked between the pair in obvious surprise. "How dare you even set foot here? You're nothing but a menace, getting everyone around you into trouble and leaving them behind when you've had your f-"

"If I may intercede your... spirited accusations for just a moment, madam-" Aleister drawled, only to trail off when Taylor quickly laid a hand on his arm, glancing up at him with a discreet shake of the head.

"You'd sooner take a step back from that boy, and save yourself and anyone who knows you a world of heartache!" Mrs. Soto scolded, glancing up at Aleister in recognition. "You should know better than anyone what he's capable of." She said pointedly, as Aleister's brow creased in confusion.

Taylors head spun from the unexpected encounter, his heart clenching as he tried to fight off the guilt and grief which the woman's spiteful comments induced. "We just..." He began, flinching and looking away when Mrs. Soto's outraged glare returned to him. He took a deep breath, and a pointed step backwards. "I... I'll see you back at the car Aleister, just uh, say sorry to everyo-"

"Are you ready to-" another voice turned Taylors heart to ice, his tumultuous emotions rising like a tidal wave within his heart, choking his airway as he looked up to see another scowling face directed his way. "What is _he_ doing here? I thought we made it quite clear, that our son was not to associate with the likes of you any longer... Tell me he's not in here because he was sneaking off to meet yo-"

"No! No, he _wasn't_ I swear!" Taylor protested, his gut twisting viciously as he turned his gaze away. "He... he wasn't..." He choked, feeling a sense of dizziness begin to overwhelm him, clawing through his thoughts and distorting them beyond coherency.

"Why should we trust a thing you say?" Mr. Soto asked, his eyes; so similar to Diego's, clouded by anger and suspicion. "You lie, easier than breathe."

"Taylor happens to be one of the most honest people I've become acquainted with." Aleister sneered, frowning between the Soto's as they turned their suspicious expressions toward him. "Perhaps you should trust your sons judgement, when it comes to picking his own friend-"

"The last time we trusted our sons choice of friend, he ran off to follow this troublemaker into the woods." Mrs. Soto scoffed, grimacing as she shot a scowl at Taylor. "And a child _died._ We don't want our son to be the next life lost because of whatever trouble _you're_ into. He's already come close... Why can't you just _leave him alone_..?!"

"Now see here..!" Aleister cried, interrupting the increasingly hysterical verbal abuse loudly, his eyes widening in surprise as he realised the depth of the blame which Diego's parents had saddled upon Taylors shoulders.

"Aleister, it's fine." Taylor said quietly, his chest feeling oddly empty as he turned and raised a hand over his shoulder. "Just, tell the others I felt sick and went home..." He said, trying to hide his deadened gaze and infuse some false cheer into his voice.

"Taylor, don't be ridicu-" Aleister scoffed as he reached for Taylors shoulder, only for Taylor to flinch away from his touch.

"I'm sorry... Mr. Soto, Mrs. Soto... I hope Diego wakes up soon." He choked, before hurrying away through the main entrance, stumbling blindly around various cars until he'd found Aleister's, only to finally recall that the pale boy had in fact locked it.

 _Wow... I think they actually hate me more than they used to._ He thought, dazedly looking around the car park and settling his gaze upon the small alley between departments. He frowned for a moment, before deciding the small privacy the location offered, would be quite the relief. _Not that I blame them, what with Diego up there and all._.. He thought, walking slowly into the alley and making his way to the trashcans, where he allowed himself to sink dejectedly to the floor; his mind swirling with the familiar accusations, and the guilt which they infused him with. 

 _The worst part is... they aren't even wrong. They're just saying what nobody else will_. He thought, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them tightly, as he stared vacantly ahead. _My parents couldn't even bring themselves to actually say it... They just, left. I don't think they'd have come back if it were me in the hospital, instead of Diego_... He thought, his eyes welling with tears as he swallowed thickly, his throat tight with the severity of his turbulent emotions. _Hell, I don't think they'd care... even if I died_. He thought, burying his face in his hands as his tears began to force their way free, his eyes stinging fiercely as he continued to try and deter them.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly, made Taylor gasp and look up sharply, surprised to see Zahra and Aleister standing awkwardly at the end of the alley. _"Sooo..."_ Zahra drawled, pointing at the trashcan behind him. "You know Diego's not in there, right?"

"What the-?" Taylor choked, hurriedly wiping his eyes as he scowled at his friends. "Jeez, ever heard of a thing called _privacy,_ guys?" He snarked hotly, shuffling to his feet and turning around, as he tried to regain control of himself. "What the _hell_ are you even doing out here?"

"Came to find you, so we can lead you to the weird back room they've stashed Diego in." Zahra replied, shrugging her shoulder as she raised a heavily pierced brow at him. "What are you doing in this creepy ass-" she fell silent abruptly, interrupted by a sudden noise from inside one of the garbage cans, which made Taylor yelp and jump away from the container. 

He looked at the garbage can suspiciously, as the muffled but insistent scratching continued. "What in heavens..." Aleister drawled, his eyes wide as he cautiously approached, casting a careful glance over Taylor.

"It's, uh... probably just a raccoon or something, right?" Taylor offered weakly, his heart racing as the strange sounds continued, turning his blood to ice in his veins.

"We thinking regular raccoon?" Zahra asked, her large boots clunking heavily on the pavement, as she stomped over to join Taylor and Aleister. "Or supernaturally controlled, attack raccoon?"

 _"Not. Helping."_ Taylor growled, throwing Zahra an irritated glare, as the fierce girl merely flipped the bird at him in response.

"Should we not... check?" Aleister offered reluctantly, glancing at the others, before looking back to the trashcan distrustfully. Taylor imagined the pale boy was no doubt recalling the previous morning in Mrs. Montoya's classroom, just before the snake attacked.

"I guess... One of us should, at least..." Taylor hedged, shifting his weight uneasily, as he drew in a deep breath and forced back the emotional upheaval he felt from his encounter with the Soto's.

"Probably." Zahra said, shrugging her shoulder as she gestured to a side door. "Unless you want some poor, unsuspecting canteen worker to get a faceful of evil raccoon when they're taking out the trash." She added blandly, as Taylor rolled his eyes and grimaced.

He sighed as he shook his head, rubbing his neck awkwardly as he steeled his nerve as best he could. "I've got this." He said quietly, striding over to the trashcan and pausing only for a second, before throwing back the lid. "... Oh my god..." He gasped, his hand rising to cover his mouth as he stared inside with wide eyes.

"What?" Aleister demanded, stiffening in preparation to either flee or defend himself at Taylors word. "What is it?!" 

Wordlessly, Taylor beckoned his friends over, still transfixed by what he had found, staring down into the trashcan in blatant disbelief. Aleister and Zahra exchanged an uncertain glance, before edging up behind him and peeking over his shoulder to see the small bundle of fur within, nestled among crumpled newspapers and takeout containers.

 _"Prrow?"_ The small black kitten meowed, cocking its head curiously at the three startled faces peering at it.

 _"Oh..."_ Taylor breathed, his heart swelling with sympathy and compassion for the tiny animal.

 _"My..."_ Aleister murmured, his brows raised in surprise as he examined the small creature carefully.

 _"Kitty!"_ Zahra cried gleefully, startling both Taylor and Aleister as they exchanged a hesitant glance, before they turned as one to look at her in surprise. _"What?"_ She demanded, her cheeks staining red in embarrassment from her outburst. " _Shut up_." She growled, as Taylors lips twitched in amusement, and Aleister quickly covered his own mouth to hide a tiny grin.

The kitten flattened her ears to her head and backed away, baring tiny fangs and hissing in a way Taylor knew was supposed to be vicious and scary, but instead only made his heart melt. _"Whoa,_ little girlie..!" He soothed gently, smiling down at the distrustful ball of fur. "It's okay... She looks scary, but she won't eat you." He teased, laughing as Zahra hit him hard in the shoulder. "We won't hurt you little kitty, promise." He chuckled softly, reaching out and holding his hand as still as he could, allowing the kitten to creep forward and sniff his fingers curiously.

 _"Mrr..."_ It purred, seeming almost to hum thoughtfully. The tiny creature watched Taylor suspiciously, as it put one paw on his hand, and then slowly added the other. Taylor snickered at its continued suspicion, but when nothing terrible happened to the kitten, it finally seemed to decide to trust him, and climbed into his palm.

"See? You're okay, aren't you?" He asked reassuringly. "Yes you are, now Taylor has you... Yes, you are." He cooed affectionately, the kittens purr rumbling softly against his hand, as he gently lifted her out of the garbage can and cuddled the small bundle to his chest, delicately tickling behind one of her small ears.

 _"Kittyyyyy..!"_ Zahra gushed, before slapping a hand over her mouth and scowling, as Taylor raised a brow at her, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

"I believe we may have broken Zahra." Aleister hummed conversationally, chuckling when Zahra finally gave up on her ruined reputation, and grinned down at the little animal.

"Shut up." She groused, holding out a finger for the kitten to sniff. "You _ever_ tell a soul about this, and I am officially cursing you both to die virgins." She threatened darkly, scowling at Taylor especially. He swallowed thickly, a distinct sound of distress escaping his throat, appeasing her as she smiled back down at the kitten. "Did you dorks know cats can sense evil spirits?" She asked, tickling beneath the kittens tiny chin, as Taylor exchanged a quiet snicker with Aleister. "Also, lookit her little paws!"

"Oh my _god,_ Snape, how can you even stand to be around yourself right now?" Taylor finally burst, laughing at Zahra's obvious embarrassment.

"Shut up, loser." She sneered, scowling at him as she tossed her Mohawk over her shoulder and hunched her shoulders defensively. "I care about some stuff..." She reluctantly admitted, her cheeks staining red as Taylor chuckled.

He shook his head as he looked back to the kitten, his amusement fading as he examined her carefully. "She's so skinny..." He murmured, frowning down at her sadly. "I think she's a stray."

"Okay, as much as a black cat is super on brand for me," Zahra said, sighing heavily as she gazed longingly at the kitten. "My dad is _crazy_ allergic."

"My aunts terrier despises cats..." Aleister said, gently trailing a fingertip over the kittens small head. He sighed, glancing at the others before narrowing his eyes to look down the road. "Perhaps the vets office down the block, might be able to find her a home..?"

"No way, assface." Zahra scoffed, smirking when Aleister visibly bristled at her name calling. "Taylor is going to take this kitty home with him... and also, let me go over to play with said kitty every day." She said firmly, meeting Taylors amused gaze when he looked up at her. "Possibly _twice_ a day." She added after a moments thought, raising a brow as if daring him to correct her.

Taylor huffed, looking down at the adorable bundle of fur, purring contently against his chest. "Furball's going to be totally thrown off by this invasion, you know. First Mal, now you..." He chuckled, glancing up at Zahra in amusement. "And apparently Snape here is gonna be practically moving in..." He laughed, as Zahra fist pumped the air. "So, I now have a roomie, a crow, a magic ice fox... _and_ a cat."

 _"Prr-row!"_ The kitten purred happily, as he held the kitten up to his face, allowing her to head butt him softly in the chin.

"How adorable." Aleister drawled, rolling his eyes despite the slight smile quirking his lips. "I didn't realise your goal in life was to open a petting zoo, Taylor." He chuckled, as Taylor stuck his tongue out at him. "Well, don't keep us in suspense. What are you going to name her?"

"Cattywampus!" Zahra offered, snapping her fingers together eagerly, as Taylor blinked in surprise of her enthusiasm. "Grimalkin! _Ooooh,_ what about Jiji?"

"Uh, what about _no?"_ Taylor snorted dryly, ignoring the middle finger and scowl he received from his friend in return. "I think I'll stick with..." He hummed, eyeing the kitten thoughtfully, as she batted at his necklace with her paw curiously. "Oh man, you are such a little..." He complained, moving her higher up so she couldn't bat ay his chain, only for her to instead begin playfully batting at the net top covering his shoulder. "Urgh, Fiddler!"

 _"Mew!"_ The kitten purred happily, turning and curling herself beneath his chin, as he raised a brow at her.

"Um, that... was not what I intended. But, I guess, if you like it..." He said, laughing when her rough tongue licked his chin briefly. "Okay, you might just be the cutest, tiniest thing I have ever seen in my life... I am just gonna have to spoil you rotten!" He insisted, chuckling at her happy purring.

"Come along then, Fiddler. You cannot come into a hosital, so you shall have to wait in the car..." Aleister sighed, turning and leading them to his car, and opening the back door. Taylor moved to sit himself in the back, but frowned when Aleister scoffed and pressed a hand to his chest, carefully taking the kitten and setting her in Taylors schoolbag on the back seat.

"Hey, why _my_ bag?!" Taylor protested, as Aleister pointedly ignored him, opening the window enough to allow the kitten some fresh air, before quickly shutting her inside. 

"Do _not_ soil by seats!" The pale boy ordered sternly, glaring through the window as the kitten sat in Taylors bag, sniffing at it curiously.

"Uh..." Taylor began, glancing between his friends as they turned towards him. 

"Taylor, I don't profess to know what on earth just happened with Diego's parents..." Aleister said dismissively, waving a negligent hand to silence Taylor before he could actually speak. "Clearly there are certain issues, and if you do not wish to discuss whatever has happened, then that is your business. However-"

"Urgh, shut up already with the long words." Zahra snorted, rolling her eyes as she looked over at Taylor. "The Soto's are gone, and you're coming to see Diego. _Now._ So we can then go back to yours and play with the kitten. Who I am gonna call Chaos, because _your_ name sucks ass." She said, folding her arms over her chest and raising a brow at him expectantly.

Taylor looked back at the car, clearing his throat as he fidgeted awkwardly. "I... I don't think its such a good idea that I-"

"Taylor start walking, before I _make_ you." Zahra threatened, raising her hand and wiggling her fingers dramatically, as Taylor grimaced. "Seriously, you're wasting kitty play time. Move it. _Now."_ She ordered, scowling as she clapped her hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the hosital entrance.

As his friend led him through the hospital, Taylor couldn't help the anxiety which bubbled up into his throat, his eyes darting nervously down every hallway, expecting more venomous vitriol to be throw at him any second. "Guys, I _really_ don't think-" he tried to protest again, as Zahra led him to a small room at the back of the hospital, and shoved him through the doorway. 

Taylor swallowed heavily, as he spotted the rest of his friends, clustered around the bed, where his best friend lay; still and quiet. "Oh, Diego..." He murmured, his rising panic smothered by a thick blanket of grief over his friends condition. He approached slowly, and barely noticed as Sean vacated his seat, guiding Taylor to sit in his now empty chair. 

His eyes traveled to the heart monitor beside him, beeping out a soft and regular rhythm, as Taylors heart clenched tightly. _"Diego..."_ He muttered quietly, shifting forward to the edge of his chair, and leaning on the rail of Diego's bed, gently touching his fingertips to his friends motionless arm.

"Jeez..." Zahra said quietly, frowning as she looked Diego's sleeping façade over carefully. "He looks so... it's like something drained the life out of him."

Taylor stared at Diego's peaceful, sleeping face, recalling all the times they'd had secret sleepovers; the times they'd gone to the movies, just to ogle the hot leads, the times they'd sat in a coffee shop with nothing to do but talk. He recalled every moment he'd spent with his best friend; and every time he'd failed to help prevent this situation from occurring. "Can he..." He croaked, quickly clearing his throst and trying again, wiping his eyes as he felt a dampness trickle over his cheeks. "I mean, does he know..? That we're here?"

"We don't know..." Sean said softly, his large hand falling onto Taylors shoulder as he frowned down at his obviously sensitive state, glancing to Aleister, who discreetly shook his head. "Nurse was here a minute ago... They said, Diego's in a 'vegetative state'."

"Are they aware of what caused it?" Aleister asked quietly, picking up Diego's chart from the end of his bed and leafing through quickly. 

"They have no idea." Quinn murmured, her eyes damp as she leaned over Diego's legs and gazed up at him. "He just... he just won't wake up." She said, swallowing heavily as she sat up and looked over at Taylor. "This... this is what I was facing, the last few months of my life... It seems so unfair, that he's facing it; now that I won't."

Rebecca sniffled, hugging herself as she stood behind Quinn, looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to hold back her tears. "Guys... what if he _never_ wakes up?"

 _"Becca!"_ Taylors heart thundered in his chest, the sound of blood pounding in his ears almost enough to blur out the various hissing voices which scolded the fiery redhead. He shook his head slowly, raising his eyes to Rebecca as she gazed at him apologetically. 

Aleister sighed and moved to stand beside her, awkwardly patting her shoulder, as Quinn leaned back in her chair and squeezed Rebecca's hand. "The nurse also said, we should talk to him, though." Quinn said, sniffing as she wiped her eyes, and looking around the group determinedly. "They said, Diego... might be able to hear us."

"It's probably bogus, dudes." Raj said, shaking his head sadly as he gazed down at Diego's prone form. "They always say crap like that, to make you feel better."

"Does it work?" Zahra asked, standing off in the corner, huddled in on herself as she stared emptily towards Diego.

Raj glanced at her, before shrugging his shoulder loosely. "... Yeah, kinda." He said, as Taylor finally trailed his fingers down Diego's arm, curling them over his hand and squeezing tightly.

 _"C'mon,_ assbutt..." He whispered, and for a moment, he was sure he felt the slight pressure of Diego squeezing back. 

He looked up in surprise, as a barely audible whisper escaped his lips.  _"Taylor..."_ He breathed, as Taylor choked and pressed his free hand to his mouth briefly.

"He _does_ know we're here..!" He gasped, a wide smile bursting forth on his face, as hope flared to life in his heart. "Diego..? Dude, if you can hear me... We're gonna make this right, okay? I _swear_ it." He said firmly, his hope fanning his fury at the spectre which had hurt yet another of his friends. "I'm gonna make Redfield pay for whatever it is he's done to you, dude... and I'm gonna fix it all. I'm gonna keep him from hurting anyone else. I _promise,_ assbutt..." He said, swallowing thickly as he curled his second hand around the first, clutching Diego's hand between them and raising it to his cheek.

"I'm gonna find a way to bring you back, Diego..." He whispered, too involved in his promise to Diego to care about the fierce stinging in his eyes. "And this time, we're _all_ gonna be there for each other... No more hiding, or burying things and dealing with it alone. I promise... So please, _please_ wake up..." He pleaded, his heart racing as he noticed the tiniest hint of a smile curving the corner of Diego's lips, as he seemed to relax ever so slightly.

"Hey... If you wake up, there's someone really cool waiting to meet you in my bag... She's in Aleister's car-" Taylor said, grinning as Zahra began to laugh, and Rebecca turned a furious shade of red to match her hair.

 _"Taylor!"_ She scolded, glancing to the doorway to make sure she hadn't attracted a nurse. "I don't think he needs anythin' of the blow up variety to help him recover!" 

"Dude, if _that's_ what he has in his bag, he needs to take it back and change its gender..." Raj sniggered, trading a brief high five with Sean, before they both hung their heads beneath Taylors frown.

"Don't talk about Fiddler like that, she's a lady..." He said, glaring around them all reproachfully as they all fought off giggles.

"If she's such a lady, why'd ya call her Fiddler?" Rebecca asked, rolling her eyes as Taylor scowled at her.

"Has anyone else been in to see him?" Taylor asked, pointedly refusing to answer and changing the subject.

"We ran into Diego's parents as they were leaving." Raj said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, and missing Taylors sudden flinch. Aleister glanced at him worriedly, but Taylor firmly locked his eyes on Diego's sleeping face, carefully containing his emotions until he was alone again. "His mom was on the phone though, some dude called Dr. Chambal."

"Another doctor?" Aleister queried, his brow furrowing as he drew the focus away from Diego's parents. "Is this a specialist they have coming in?"

 _"Actually..."_ Quinn said slowly, biting her lip as she glanced around the others, before looking toward Taylor worriedly. "Based on what they were saying... I think it may be Diego's therapist."

Taylor sighed heavily, raising a hand to scrub over his face tiredly. "Yeah... He's uh, especially since he started drinking, i mean... he's been talking to her awhile." He admitted, glancing up at their shocked faces briefly. "He never told her any of this stuff, but, they made him..." He trailed off briefly, shaking his head before pushing on again without thinking. "I think mostly, they were hoping he would tell them it was all my fau-" he broke off with a cough, shaking his head as he looked back at Diego longingly.

An awkward, slightly confused silence hung over the group, and Taylor silently cursed himself for his slip. He grit his teeth tightly, assuming Aleister would inform the others of their encounter with the Soto's later. _And then the pitying looks will begin._.. He thought sourly, swallowing hard in an attempt to wrestle down his frustration and grief. _Thank god they don't know about my parents..._ He thought, snorting inaudibly as he shook his head.

"Diego, buddy..." Sean finally sighed, breaking the tense atmosphere around them all. "I really wish you could tell us what happened."

 _"Nnnnn..."_ Diego groaned, his peaceful expression twisting slightly, as he slowly turned his head just a few degrees to the right. Taylor followed the motion, and saw Diego's clothes folded neatly on the bedside table.

"Dude, I am saying right now, if there is anything remotely dodgy in those pockets of yours; I'm having Furball use you for snowball practice." He warned, desperately wishing his friend were able to laugh. He sighed dejectedly when there was no reaction, looking again to Diego's clothing. "Alright, fine. Wait a second..." He groused, patting down Diego's clothes until he felt his cell phone through his jeans pocket. He quickly dug the device free, and turned it on eagerly. "He didn't tell _us_ what was going on..." He choked, looking around his friends quickly.

"But, maybe he told _someone else_..." Sean said, realisation dawning in his eyes as he met Taylors gaze.

"He sent us all those weird texts the night he disappeared..." Taylor said thoughtfully, his fingers hovering over Diego's phone screen. "His _other_ texts, might ne able to tell us more."

"Diego..." Rebecca began uncertainly, glancing between the phone in Taylors hand, and their not quite sleeping friend in the bed. "Ya _really_ want us goin' through ya phone?"

The group waited with baited breath, Taylor with his heart pounding thickly in his throat, watching hopefully for Diego's reaction. After several long seconds, Diego's head finally moved again; the ghost of a nod.

"Well, the choice falls down to you, Taylor." Aleister said, drawing in a deep breath, before exhaling heavily through his nose. "You know Diego best, after all."

Taylor looked up at his friend, grimacing at the thought of going through such personal things, and admittedly, terrified of what he might find. "In for a penny, in for a pound..." He huffed, shakily bringing up Diego's menu and opening his text messages. "Okay... the first messages about the therapist this was back in September, which... admittedly, is when he first started acting a little distracted." He said, grimacing as he hesitated to open the message from Diego's mother. He cleared his throat and shifted on his chair, forcing himself to tap the message and quickly scanning through. "Uh... Basically he and his mom almost arguing about not arguing about a therapist again, and she suggested a link for a... text therapist." He said, nodding thoughtfully as he looked at the link which his friend had briefly shown him at the time. 

"They started talking a few days later. Diego... he always said she was kinda cool, but he could never take a text counsellor seriously. He said he made the effort to appease his parents... made jokes about the whole thing being the plot of some bad daytime drama..." He said, his voice becoming smaller as his throat constricted painfully. A slow frown marred his brow, as he scrolled through the first of the therapists chats, pausing at the end and cocking his head. "He told her.. he felt alone..." He said slowly, his eyes rising to the group, noticeably darkened by grief and confusion. "That he was scared."

"What did he have to be afraid of?" Quinn asked curiously, biting her lip as she moved to reach for Taylors hand, only for him to carefully retract it from Diego's bed. Her crystalline eyes turned sad, as she drew her hand back, gazing at the others knowingly. "I mean, this was all long before the creepy stuff started happening... right?"

Taylor shook his head, his heart feeling torn in two by Diego's obvious turmoil. _And I never noticed._.. He thought, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath. _Well, we always knew I made a shitty friend_. He thought grimly, opening his eyes and quickly skimming to the next batch of messages. "The next bunch is, after thanksgiving... He went to his uncles cabin, and then-" he paused, cocking his head thoughtfully as he recalled Diego's change in behaviour upon returning. "He was out of school a few days... Which is weird in itself, because he usually comes in even when he has the worst illnesses. There's a few messages from his mom, mostly unanswered... From the sounds of it, he locked himself in his room for three days." He said quietly, his hand tightening around the phone, as he looked up at Diego and leaned back in his chair.

 _Was I too demanding..? Just, too lost in myself and how much I missed him, to realise he wasn't right himself_? He wondered bleakly, rubbing his eyes briefly as he came to question whether he and his best friend were quite so close as he'd believed. He sighed, pushing aside his self doubt as he raised the phone again and frowned at the next batch of messages. "We traded a few messages, but nothing... nothing like this. He spoke to his therapist again though. He said... He started having nightmares, when he was up at his uncles cabin over thanksgiving about... about when we were kids." He said pointedly, glancing around as his friends all shifted uncomfortably. "He said he still wasn't ready to talk about that though... and she eventually admits that she believed he had PTSD." He said, swallowing thickly as he ran a hand through his hair. "The next big batch is February." He sighed, leaning back slightly to stare at the ceiling.

"Winter formal..." Rebecca said, nodding her head thoughtfully, as she met Taylors brief glance. "Did you guys goto that big party at-"

"Nah," Taylor said, shaking his head as he sat up straight again. "We had a two man drinking party back at mine. Heh, Diego won." He huffed sadly, clicking his tongue in a way which told them all, that winning was not a good thing. "He started freaking out, saying he could see something in the woods out behind my house, so I went round closing all the curtains and locking every window and door... I thought... I thought he was just drunk..." He said, shaking his head at his own negligence.

"Taylor, you couldn't have known-" Quinn began, but fell silent when he rolled his head o his shoulders, looking at her with a raised brow. 

"I think everyone here knows I could, and more to the point; that I _should've."_ He said quietly, before clearing his throat and waving the phone at them all. "He mentions it here, that he felt bad for scaring the crap outta his friend-"

"How come he doesn't say who?" Sean asked, frowning as he read the messages over Taylors shoulder. "He even goes out of his way to make it seem like he's talking about a girl..."

"I expect that he felt it was a necessary precaution." Aleister said, looking at Taylor with a sudden knowing gleam in his eyes. "In case his parents ever read his phone, and found out he was still in contact with Taylor."

"They didn't _know?!"_ Quinn gasped, as Taylor rolled his eyes and threw Aleister a withering glare, which the pale boy was entirely unaffected by.

"This is _so not the point."_ He said firmly, gesturing again to Diego's phone. "His little therapy buddy had an idea for him to get over his issues with the woods." He said, scrolling through the messages with a faint frown. "Advises him to take small steps... To start out sitting near the woods, and the next week, take a few steps closer and so on..." He hummed thoughtfully, tilting his head as he saw the others all noticeably flinched.

 _"That's_ what he was trying to do?!" Raj cried, his eyes wide in disbelief. Taylor nodded blankly, exhaling a heavy sigh as he scrolled through more messages.

"After that, its all little things through the summer." He said, swallowing thickly at the small progresses his friend had made. "A step into the woods, a picnic five feet in... He was working his way up to it. All the way up to last week." He said, clenching his free hand into a fist as he cast a betrayed look at his motionless best friend. "You goddamn... _Idjit!"_ He burst suddenly, startling the others as his eyes welled with tears of frustration, guilt and grief. "Why the _hell_ didn't you _tell_ me? I might be an ass, but Jesus Diego... I'd have come with you! I'd have done _anything_ to _prevent_ this-" he choked off at the hint of a sob, glancing backwards as Sean's gently set his hand upon his shoulder.

"Maybe that's exactly why he _didnt_ tell ya, Taylor... He wanted to prove it was all just, a stupid nightmare from when we were kids, sure..." Rebecca said, her grey eyes soft with sympathy. "But he also didn't wanna run the risk of ya bein' with him, 'cause he didn't want ya to get hurt."

 _Look how well that turned out_. Taylor thought sourly, grimacing as he looked back at the phone and blinked in surprise. "This is the last one... The same night he text all of _us._ He sent it at five fifteen..." He said quietly, pausing briefly before reading his friends last messages aloud. _"I'm standing at the edge of the woods, for what I hope is the last time. Just wanted to say thanks for all your help, because once I beat this, I can-_ " he broke off suddenly, blinking in surprise.

"What is it..?" Zahra asked, frowning as she moved slightly closer to the bed, standing to the side of Quinn and Rebecca.

"... _Once I beat this, I can help my friend beat it too. I know that it eats them up inside, and once I can show them it was never their fault; they might finally be able to move on too."_ Sean read, frowning at the message as Aleister's eyes darted toward Taylors shell shocked expression.

 _Stupid... stupid assbutt_... Taylor thought, a quiet gasp escaping his lips as he blinked and forced himself to continue reading the rest of Diego's final messages. " _I'm going in tonight, all the way to where it happened. To end this... once and for all. I'm going to walk into that house, and tell Mr. Red he's not real. And he never was. And... he doesn't scare me anymore_." He bit out, before lowering the phone to his lap, unable to stand looking at it any longer.

"The therapist didn't reply til five hours later..." Sean murmured, plucking the phone from Taylors lap with gentle fingers. "She explained he was being preemptive, that he would still have to deal with this over the following years, and that she hoped he was taking a buddy with him..." He paused, looking around the group slowly. "Half hour later she re-read his last message and asked who Mr. Red was... but Diego never replied. He must've already been in the woods by then." He said quietly, setting the phone back onto Diego's clothes, his hand trembling slightly.

"Diego..." Taylor whispered brokenly, his heart aching for all the times he apparently should have been there for his friend, and all the times he had apparently failed him. "I'm _so_ sorry, buddy... I promise dude, I'm gonna find a way to help you." He said, sniffing as he wiped his stinging eyes quickly. "And when you wake up, I'm gonna be there for you. Whatever you need, assbutt." He said, leaning forward, and squeezing Diego's hand as he let out a quiet sigh.

"We all will little doodlejump," Raj said, scowling as he shook his head. "And more than that quack doctor, dudes. She's the reason he went to face Mr. Red! 'Cause _she_ said it was all in his head!"

"We _all_ did." Quinn scolded, glaring at the large boy. "The doctor didn't tell him to go and do that, Diego _wanted_ to! For himself, for us for..." She paused, swallowing as she looked over at Taylor sadly, watching him as he gently toyed with the paper tag around Diego's wrist. "For Taylor." She said quietly, before turning back to Raj with her frown back in place. "That doctor did the best she could, with the limited information Diego gave her. I dread to think how guilty she must be feeling."

"Almost as much as Taylor, one would imagine." Aleister sniffed, rolling his eyes when Taylor flashed him a half hearted, irritated glare. "Besides which... It _did_ seem like she helped him rather a lot. Indeed, Diego seemed to improve a great deal in dealing with everything, until..."

"Until Mr. Red screwed everything up." Zahra supplied, as Aleister fell silent, seemingly hesitant to complete voicing his thoughts. _"Again."_  

"Everything that's happened..." Taylor said distantly, shaking his head slowly, as he seemed to stare right through Diego; straight through the hospital wall itself, and all the way to the familiar building which haunted his dreams. "Everything started when Diego went into the ruins."

"Well, that makes sense I guess." Rebecca sighed, tugging at the end of her ponytail, as she worried her lip. "I mean, that's how it all started ten years ago, right?"

"One of us goes in, and it wakes up Redfield." Taylor said thickly, closing his eyes as he recalled the first time he'd stepped inside the ruins; and of the lives which might not be in danger now, had he just listened, and stayed back with his friend. "Then more of us show up, and his power grows..."

"So, what..?" Raj huffed, frowning in confusion as he looked around the group uncertainly. "Mr. Red used Diego as bait? To lure us into the woods, and increase his power?"

Taylor twitched, frowning as something about Raj's words seemed to strike him as familiar, before his mind was suddenly filled with the terrifying memory of the fake Diego which had attacked him. "The dirt monster... it _did_ say I was supposed to bring everyone."

"So, we don't give him what he wants. We already saved Diego, we have no reason to go back into the woods..." Quinn said insistently, as Taylor and Aleister exchanged a concerned look. "So long as we stay out, things can't get any worse!"

"I believe things may _already_ be worse." Aleister said, coughing slightly to clear his throat. "I believe, in his own sick and twisted way... Mr. Red has been doing us favours. To get on our good side, perhaps. Make us believe he is our friend again, as he once pretended to be."

"Favours?" Sean asked, frowning between Taylor and Aleister in confusion. "Like what?" He pressed suspiciously.

"Oh, don't play dense, you know _damn_ well." Taylor groused, glancing at him with a frown. "The bear attack, Sean. The crows which attacked Craig and Estela... and-"

"... My illness..." Quinn breathed, covering her hand with her mouth, as she stared down at her lap in wide eyed horror. Taylor reached over and took her hand, squeezing tightly.

 _"That_ one, I'm _thankful_ for." He said firmly, his deep blue eyes blazing with sincerity. Quinn looked up at him with tearful eyes, but after taking a deep breath, she brushed them away with a small nod.

Rebecca shifted uncomfortably, chewing on her lips as she looked around the group. "I... think ya oughtta know about what happened last night, too..." She said, reluctantly telling everyone about Michelle's blackmail, and the tree creature which attacked her. "And then it just... threw me the bag, and her phone fell right out at ny feet."

"I think we have to admit it guys." Taylor sighed, looking around his friends tiredly. "This proves it. We've all had something happen recently-"

"Except you and Raj." Quinn said quietly, frowning at Taylor as he quickly fell silent. "Unless there's something you're not telling us?"

"Not so far as I'm aware..." Taylor said evasively, averting his eyes to Diego, as he slumbered on beside them.

"Okay..." Zahra said awkwardly, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, that explains why Michelle invited us to a party, but it _doesn't_ explain why she suddenly decided to stop being such a queen bitch to Quinn."

"I don't think that has anything to do with Mr. Red, even if he could affect peoples minds, I doubt he'd get far in hers." Taylor said, glancing at Quinn as she shook her head vehemently.

"No _way!"_ She insisted, exchanging a knowing glance with Taylor. "There's no proof that Mr. Red can do anything like that. Michelle is just, she's acting more like herself again. The _real_ her, from before..." Quinn's voice rose to a shout before she trailed off abruptly, glancing at Sean as the sports star sighed guiltily. Diego seemed to flinch at the loud noise, his brow furrowing as if in pain.

" _Nnnnn... don't_..." He murmured, as Taylor sat up sharply, scooting closer as the others gasped around them.

"Diego, buddy? Can you hear us?" Taylor pleaded, his eyes searching Diego's face, as his friends eyes seemed to move beneath his eyelids. His heart soared with hope, a wild flame which flockered eagerly at the thought of his friend waking up. "Are you there?" He murmured urgently.

Diego spoke again, his voice barely a whisper. Taylor leaned closer, straining to hear him, when the lights flickered suddenly. Taylors heart lurched in fear, as Diego's hand shot upwards suddenly, and clamped tightly around his wrist. "Diego! What the _hell-"_

" _Don't... fight_..." Diego rasped, his grip only growing stronger as Taylor struggled to try and pull free, until he held Taylors wrist in a painfully tight grasp. The beeping of the heart rate monitor sped up, the beats coming fast and irregular.

" _O_ _w!_ Diego, let go!" Taylor yelped, trying to pry Diego's hand free of his wrist with his other hand. "Dude, you're _hurting_ me!"

" _No... helping_..." Diego mumbled raggedly, his chest hitching abruptly with his uneven breaths. "... _help friends_..." He said slowly, as Sean lunged forward and grabbed ahold of his arm.

"Dude, let g-!" He said, scowling at the effort he used trying to remove Diego's hand from Taylors wrist. Diego's free hand twitched, and Sean gasped as he went sailing backwards through the air, slamming into Zahra and Raj and sending all three of them crashing to the ground.

"The hell?!" Raj cried, as Taylor cried out in shock and fear, looking them all over worriedly, before trying again to pry his wrist free of his best friends tight grip.

"Oh my _god..."_ Rebecca gasped as the lights flickered again, watching with wide eyes as Diego slowly sat up. When he spoke, his voice was not his own; but a terrible, cold whisper that seemed to fill the room.

 _"All... better now_..." He rasped, as Taylors eyes slowly widened, realisation weighing in his stomach like a stone. " _Everyone... together..."_

"No..!" Taylor choked, as the lights went out entirely, plunging the room into darkness. He resumed his struggling against Diego's grip, but it wouldn't budge. "Get _out_ of him, you bastard!" He snarled, about to begin clawing at Diego's fingers, when he suddenly realised that doing so would genuinely hurt his friend.

 _"Taylor!"_ Quinn cried, standing beside Rebecca and gazing at him worriedly. "What do we do?!"

"Just stay back!" Taylor yelled, glancing around them all with his brows knit tightly together in concern and pain. "He's too strong with all of us together! I don't... I don't want him to hurt any of _you..."_

"... Okay." Quinn agreed, watching him desperation in her crystalline eyes. "But what do we _do?_ We have to-"

 _"Staaaayyy..."_ Diego rasped slowly. Taylor choked, as wind began to howl from nowhere, and before his eyes the room warped and stretched, the back wall falling away into the darkness.

 _"Taylor!"_ Aleister called urgently, raising one arm over his face, while using the other to hold Quinn and Rebecca back, protecting them from the wild wind with Raj and Sean's help. The monitors beeps continue to quicken, until they bled into an unsteady keening sound.

 _"Diego..!"_ Taylor cried, staring at the familiar swirling darkness in horror, before turning back to his eerily calm and seemingly still sleeping best friend with an agonized gaze. "Diego, if you're in there, _please!_ Let me _go!"_ He cried as he glanced back to the darkness, remembering the first time such a vicious wind had tried to steal him away. _All my fault._.. He thought distantly, a vague sense of apathy and dejection welling in his heart.

 _"Don't go... all better now... now we play.._." Diego murmured, as Taylor shook off the rising emptiness in his gut, looking over at his friends worriedly. 

 _"Better..?"_ He queried, his gze flickering between his friends, Diego and the swirling blackness which seemed so desperate once again to consume him. "How the _hell_ are things better?!"

" _No... I helped... all better now._.." Diego sighed dreamily, as if a serene euphoria had come over him. Taylor grimaced, squirming against the tight hold on his wrist.

"Yeah, this is not my idea of _'better'!"_ Zahra scoffed, scowling at Diego as she finally managed to raise herself off the floor and braced herself against the wall. "So, how about you _get the hell away from us_!" She demanded, gesturing wildly and causing the chair beside her to fly toward Diego. He growled, and the chair deflected, shattering as it tumbled down the black tunnel.

"Zahra..!" Taylor yelled, his eyes widening as he was struck by a sudden idea. "That's it! Use your powers!" He called quickly.

"Her _what_ now?!" Sean exclaimed, staring between Taylor and Zahra in shocked disbelief.

"Urgh, I just _tried!"_ Zahra fumed sarcastically, scowling at Taylor as if he were an idiot. "It didn't work!"

"No, not like _that!"_ Taylor said quickly, his eyes watering from the pain of Diego's tight grip. "Use your powers on _me!"_

 _"What?!"_ Zahra yelped, visibly shocked as her eyes widened, shaking her head in disbelief as she took am uncertain step backwards.

"Use your powers to pull me over to you!" Taylor insisted, crying out as he felt Diego's grip tighten.

"I... I can't!" Zahra called, shaking her head more insistently, as she worried her lip in an uncharacteristic show of concern. "What if I hurt you?"

"Urgh, I'm _already_ being hurt!" Taylor cried, scrabbling as Diego's hand uselessly in an attempt to free himself. "You really think anything you do is gonna make things _worse_ right now?!" 

Zahra hesitated a second longer, before nodding and clenching her hands into fists, her breath coming fast and ragged as she steeled herself with a determined scowl. "Okay, c'mon, kickass powers..." She muttered, narrowing her eyes as she concentrated. " _Urgh, work you stupid-!"_

Taylor gasped, as he was suddenly yanked backward, his wrist finally tearing free of Diego's grasp. _"No!"_ Diego whined, as Taylor crashed into Zahra, knocking her back to the floor as light suddenly flooded the room again. By the time Taylors eyes had adjusted, the hospital room had returned to normal. _"Not... better_..." Diego muttered, letting our a long, shuddering sigh. His body turned limp, and he fell bonelessly back onto the mattress.

 _"Diego!"_ Taylor cried, sitting up and reaching for his friend, though he dared not get ant closer lest Mr. Red possess him again.

"Is... is it over..?" Quinn asked, peeking around Aleister and Sean's arms, as the pale boy lowered his other arm from his face. _"Taylor!"_ She gasped, rushing around the boys to crouch by his side and help him to his feet.

Taylor winced at the deep marks, already purpling as bruises on his arm, while Aleister edged carefully closer to the monitors beside Diego's bed. He checked them carefully, before tentatively laying the back of his hand to Diego's forehead. "It appears so..." He said, quickly drawing back his hand and moving away from Diego. _"For now."_

"Is anyone hurt?" Rebecca asked, looking around them all worriedly, as Taylor squirmed away from Quinn's gently prying fingers.

"Only on my _everywhere."_ Zahra groaned, scowling at Taylor accusingly. "Next time, I want a plan where no one body slams me onto dingy linoleum." She snarked, as she accepted Sean's offered hand and allowed him to help her to his feet.

"Sorry..." Taylor muttered, gazing over at Diego longingly. "Least it worked though, I guess..." He said, sighing as his heart yearned for him to approach his friend again.

"Dude..." Raj said slowly, exhaling heavily as he scratched his head beneath his hair tie. "So, what the _hell_ was-" the large boy paused, as a nurse hurried in to look at Diego's heart monitor. They looked from the monitor to Diego, their brow furrowing.

"We were, um... Just leaving." Rebecca said quickly, hurrying to the other side of Taylor and helping Quinn to drag him from the room. "Sorry."

"... _Diego-"_ Taylor called, watching the nurse pick up a piece of the splintered chair with a perplexed expression on their face, as the rest of his friends pulled him away.

The group gathered in the lobby, where Taylor finally shook himself free, his arms curling about his chest protectively as the others all took turns signing out of the visitor log. "Okay, what the _hell_ was all that?" Quinn demanded, looking over at Taylor worriedly.

 _"Bad."_ He murmured, swallowing thickly as he narrowed his eyes out the main entrance and into the distance. "It was bad."

"Indeed, and may we please discuss that... _thing?"_ Aleister enquired, swallowing heavily as he ran a hand over his slightly mussed hair. "Was that-"

"It was _him."_ Taylor said quietly, staring vacantly into his long ago memories, of a dark tunnel which tried to suck him out of existence as a child; and now again.

"I never thought..." Rebecca gulped, shaking her head as she looked over at Taylor worriedly. "I mean, it felt so _real."_

"It _was_ real, little dudette." Raj countered quietly, glancing around the group uncomfortably, as nobody even attempted to deny his conclusion.

"Also, uh..." Sean coughed, nudging Zahra somewhat playfully. "Zahra has freaky mind powers now?"

"Apparently." Zahra agreed, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, as Sean let out a sigh and cracked his knuckles nervously.

"I don't know about you guys..." He finally huffed, looking around them all with a hesitant smile. "But I'm gonna need about ten square feet of pizza to process all this." He said, raising a brow when several of the group perked noticeably. "You guys in?"

"Sure..." Taylor sighed dejectedly, about to move to the exit, when Quinn gasped and drew his attention to the desk.

"This is-!" She said, turning with her eyes wide in surprise. He frowned as he approached the desk, with Zahra close behind him. Quinn gestured to a clipboard with the signing out pen, where a list of names caught his eye.

" _Diego Soto, unresponsive_..." He began, his throat constricting as his mind flashed back to his friends current condition. " _Drake Walker, unresponsive... Poppy Patel, unresponsive... Olivia Montoya, unresponsive_..." He said, his brow slowly furrowing as he read the long list of names aloud, until an irritated looking nurse suddenly snatched the clipboard away and glared at him. "Uh, sorry. I... was just looking for the sign out sheet." He lied, having never actually signed in. 

The nurse grabbed their sweater and with a final suspicious glare, they walked away, leaving the desk unattended. "Nice..." Zahra said, tipping her chin toward the computer. "They left the computer running. Bet you fifty bucks I can hack into the system... give us a chance to do some digging." She said, waving her brows at Taylor suggestively.

"You want to break into the hospitals private records?!" Quinn gasped, glancing around to make sure no staff were nearby.

"Say it a little louder, quinn, I don't think they heard you in _Germany."_ Zahra snarked, as Quinn flushed guiltily. "Look," Zahra continued, leaning closer to the pair. "There's, like, a dozen other people in comas, who've been admitted over the past week. We gotta know why."

Quinn bit her lip, fidgeting awkwardly for a moment, before nodding in reluctant agreement. "Okay. If you're gonna do it... I'll help. But you better decide fast!" She said, a determined frown furrowing her brow.

"Why not..." Taylor sighed, only partially invested in the chance to flex their detective skills, exhausted from his encounter with Diego. "Lets do it." He said, running a hand through his hair as he tried to focus his thoughts. "If it can help us save Diego, I'm _all_ for it."

"Cute." Zahra drawled, raising a brow at him. "Should we all put our hands in or something? Do a little cheer?"

"I am aware of your sarcasm, but I would totally make you do that if we weren't so short on time." Taylor huffed, his humour somewhat returning as Zahra's lips twitched, her shoulders sagging slightly in what could have been mistaken for relief. "Okay, genius. Show us what you can do. Quinn, where do we wanna look?"

Zahra and Quinn organized their friends quickly, setting them into watch positions, before the three of them crept around behind the desk. Zahra quickly sat in the chair, typing furiously as she scowled at the screen. "Come to momma..." She muttered, finally hitting the enter key and successfully entering the hospital database.

"Quinn, you've seen this thing in action before... What are we looking for?" Taylor asked quickly.

"Try admissions first, its basic but they all gotta be checked in." She whispered, as Zahra's fingers flew across the keyboard, searching through the computers directory.

"Here." Zahra said suddenly, clicking on an icon labeled 'inpatient records'. She opened it up, and quickly sorted them by the most recent.

"Well?" Taylor asked, biting his lip as he glanced between the jumble of information on the screen and his friend, as she stared eaptly at the data and seemed to absorb it like a sponge.

"This is the same list you were looking at, before nurse grabby got pissy." Zahra explained distractedly, looking through all the names with narrowed eyes. "Look at this; all patients unresponsive, all admitted in the last week..."

"Can you get anything more specifi-?" Taylor began to ask, as Zahra clicked on a name and brought up more details about one of the patients.

"' _Found near Nightingale Ave_ '..." Quinn read over Zahra's shoulder, frowning between them briefly. "This one was picked up near the tree line on Aspen Street... Taylor, these are all-"

"The streets surrounding the woods." He finished thickly, shaking his head as his hand slowly curled into a ball. "Yeah, I know..."

"Guys, look." Zahra said, taping the bottom of the screen and scrolling downwards. "Looks like a buncha notes a... Dr. Montrese, from pathology." She explained, as Taylor frowned and read the notes for himself quickly.

"' _Experiencing a resurgence of similar epidemics in Westchester's history_ '..." He said, his brow furrowing in confusion, as he turned to look at Zahra. "English, please."

"The docs listed out some dates for us, about this sorta thing happening before, which is handy as fu-" She explained, rolling her eyes at him, before trailing off suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise. _"Whoa,_ goes right back to start in the eighteen hundreds..."

"Eighteen hundred, nineteen seventy..." Quinn said slowly, looking up at Taylor and Zahra, her crystalline gaze marred by fear.

"... And ten years ago..." Taylor said, gesturing to the final set of dates on the screen with a trembling finger, as he swallowed thickly.

"Crap, that's the signal..." Zahra said, grimacing and rising from the chair quickly, as an intricately whistled melody drifted to their ears. Taylor glanced around, to see Sean waving his arms wildly. 

"Damn..." He muttered, moving to to shut the window Zahra had left open, when something else caught his eye.

"What are you _waiting_ for?!" Quinn whispered furiously from the doorway, her eyes lit by fear and concern. "Come _on,_ Taylor!"

"Just... _one_ more minute." He murmured, hitting print before quickly closing the window. Zahra and Quinn moved to the other side of the counter, blocking Taylor from view as bed they could.

"Taylor, _seriously..."_ Zahra snarked, scowling at a passing visitor. "Hurry the fuck up!" She hissed lowly, as Taylor glanced up to see a nurse approaching form over her and Quinn's shoulders. He ducked down, staring at the printer desperately, as only one page remained.

 _"Taylor!"_ Quinn gasped, as the printer settled. Taylor snatched the papers up, stuffing them into a nearby manila folder and tucking them beneath his top. He crawled out from beneath the counter, just as the nurses feet appeared in front of him.

"Oh thank god! _There's_ my contact!" He gasped loudly, a huge smile of relief spreading across his face. "Oh my god, it's so lucky I found it... These things are hellishly expensive, huh?" He mimed picking up something off the floor, before scrambling to his feet and hurrying away to rejoin the rest of his friends.

"I do hope whatever you just found was worth it, Taylor." Aleister sneered, frowning at him as he shook his head. "That was a _close_ call..."

"Trust me, it was." Taylor said, looking around his friends quickly. "We got something..." He assured, as Zahra snorted.

"Yeah, like the fact that all those other patients?" She said, cocking her head back towards the hospital. "They were also found around the woods."

"And, that this isn't the first time that there's been an epidemic of this kind..." Quinn added, exchanging a high five with Raj, and bumping her other fist to Zahra's.

"I'd say that's some pretty good info, doodlejumps..." Raj said, clicking his tongue in approval.

"Not to mention..." Taylor said slowly, motioning everyone closer and drawing the manila folder out from under his top. He flicked it open, and showed them the printouts he'd made, allowing them all to read through together.

"So what's it say?" Sean asked curiously, leaning closer to scan through quickly. "Oh wow, it's reports of other epidemics." He said, his eyes widening as he gestured to the top of one of the freshly printed pages. "Looks like the doctor wrote some notes up top here..."

Rebecca swallowed heavily, her grey eyes rising slowly to meet Taylors blue. ".. _. 'some cause for concern. In each past incident, the influx of patients, is closely followed by... a massacre_ '." She read aloud, her voice trembling too much to continue.

 _"'It is unclear how these events are related_ ,'" Aleister drswled, picking up from where Rebecca had trailed off. "' _And, the deaths that follow, are not always of such volume... See article B, from November third, two thousand seven..."_

"November third..." Raj said thickly, shaking his head in pained disbelief, as Sean reached over to squeeze his shoulder supportively. 

 _"'Each time, the events are the same_.'" Quinn continued, as the group tried to offer sympathy and support to Raj, while also listening to the redhead. "' _A sudden influx of unresponsive patients, followed by the death of one or more persons, followed by quiet.'_ " She said, biting her lip as she looked up at Taylors grin expression.

"Everything leads back to Redfield..." He said thickly, choking on the tense silence which fell over the group; guilt and grief alike, clawing painfully at the back of his throat.

"It just keeps gettin' worse..." Rebecca sighed, shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around herself. "How are we supposed to do anythin' about this?"

"There must be a way..." Aleister muttered, scowling at the pavement as he traced a finger across his chin thoughtfully. "We just-" he trailed off with a sigh, and for a long pause, nobody else tried to speak.

Taylor looked around his friends sadly, all seemingly lost and adrift within their own fears. Finally he drew in a deep breath, and trampled down his own emotions so he could plaster a reassuring smile on his face. "Guys, I know we can do this." He said, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips. "We just have to stick together." He said, slowly letting his eyes meet each of his friends gazes. "I am honestly, more terrified than I have ever been in my life... I don't know if I actually have the strength to handle all of this... But I don't _have_ to. Not alone." He said, swallowing heavily as he dropped his gaze to their feet for a moment.

"We tried pushing each other away, dealing with things alone." He said thickly, shaking his head dejectedly. "And look where it got us... Look where it got Diego." He said, a small gasp escaping him as he raised his head and held himself as tal as he could. "So, no more going it alone. We have each other again now... Together, we're stronger than any of us can be on our own. Together, i _know_ we can do this." 

For another long minute, the tension in the air remained, and Taylor was just beginning to worry it would never break, when his friends all snorted and sniggered as one. _"Pfft,_ who fed Taylor the 'sappiest bullshit' dictionary?" Zahra scoffed, smirking as she flipped him the bird.

"Good heavens Taylor, I've had to endure the drama club for weeks on end..." Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Even _they_ cannot produce such a vomit inspiring display of emotional prattle."

 _"Dude."_ Raj snickered,clapping Taylor on the shoulder, as he slowly turned red and scowled around his friends.

"Oh Taylor," Quinn giggled, her eyes crinkling in genuine amusement. "You're so cute when you get all inspirational." She teased, poking her tongue out at him briefly.

"Wait til I tell my brother about this..." Rebecca said, sighing as she shook her head. "I wish I'd got it on camera to show him..." She added wistfully.

"Man, and I thought coach gave lame speeches..." Sean groaned, his arms wrapped over his ears, as a wide smile spread across his face.

"Okay, you know what? I take it back, you're all awful people and I don't need any of you." Taylor groused scathingly, scowling at them all as he flushed furiously in his embarrassment. 

"Okay, okay..." Sean chuckled softly, raising his hands in placation. "But seriously, I asked about pizza like, _forever_ ago... so, can we take care of that first?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna need an entire pizza, just for me." Zahra agreed, raising a heavily pierced brow at them all. "Also, anyone who touches said pizza is gonna get their hand burnt clean off."

"Hmm..." Aleister hummed, his lips twitching on amusement briefly. "Pizza Mega?" He suggested, as the Taylor continued to simmer and sulk.

 _"Obviously."_ Rebecca said, drawing Quinn into a side hug as they giggled at Taylors lingering bad mood.

"Oh man, we haven't been there in _ages..."_ Raj said, his tone reminiscent as he beamed a wide and excited grin around the group. "Think they still have those little honey packets for the crust?"

"Wonder if anyone beat my high score on the Meteor Madness cabinet..." Zahra wondered distractedly, scowling at the possibility.

"I hope they still have our corner booth free..." Quinn said, as they began to usher each other toward Rebecca and Aleister's cars. 

Taylor watched them a moment, his mutinous expression softening at last, as they laughed and teased each other. He swallowed thickly and nodded his head, a small smile hitching his lip lopsidedly as he trailed behind them into the night.


	9. Party Favours: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I has split this xhapter in two... partly cuz i dont wanna end up with a too big chapter - and partly xuz im greedy for you attention and commenfs lol
> 
> Alsi, i was just fallin asleep so... sorry if i missed aby eduts ir accidentally delered somethib - youll have to let ne kniw lol
> 
> Please lemme jnow what ya think - your comments ans thoughrs are so inspiring. I might be goinf wireless tomorriw (anorher reason i posted this half now)   
> I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE OTHER HALF THIUGH ... and i know you all know why :p
> 
> Anyway im gonna shut up cuz in fallin askeep still and im a weirdo when i sleep talk lol  
> Please let me know ehat ou think xx
> 
> x My love to you all x

**9.**

**Party Favours**.

 _Ten years ago_...

"Oh no, _no no no-"_ Taylor chanted, ducking a branch as he raced through the woods, his breath ragged as he pushed himself to run as fast as he could. _He's closing in_! He thought, glancing around in desperation as he came to realise; there was no escape. _I have to hide_! He thought urgently, spotting a hollow of damp, rotting roots and quickly scurrying inside. A daddy long legs walked between his fingers, as Redfield's voice whispered all around him.

"... _where... are you, Taylor?"_

A centipede skittered across Taylors knuckles, up his wrist and inside his sleeve. _"Aah!"_ He gasped, as thick vines seized him, dragging him across the forest floor and out into a clearing.

"... _Found you_..."

Taylor hung upside down in front of the houses dark door, and laughed as the vines set him gently down upon his feet. "You cheater! You _peeked!"_ He pouted, giggling wildly as Redfield tried to deny his accusation.

"... _Nnnnoooo..."_

He turned upon hearing a shriek of laughter, to see Raj tumbling out of the branches of a nearby tree. _"Oof!"_ He puffed, folding his arms over his chest petulantly. "No fair, dude! You didn't tell me you could control birds and stuff!" He protested, as Taylor laughed at him. "They tried to peck me in my eye!" He said, looking over at his cousin kicking their feet, as invisible claws yanked them by the arms from out behind a tree stump.

 _"Hahaha!_ Mr. Red, _stop!_ You're gonna rip my clothes!" They laughed, feigning a scowl as they were set on their feet, and jabbing an playfully accusatory finger toward the house. "You play too rough!"

As Mr. Red dragged the rest of Taylors friends from their hiding places, he heard a whisper of laughed rising off the stones, and in the broken window above, he spotted a shadowy figure; watching them.

"Who's in there?" He called, his eyes widening in surprise as he stared up at the window. The figure did not seem bothered by his sudden awareness of them, in fact, it did not even seem to react to his call at all.

"Huh?" Diego hummed, trotting over to stand beside him and frowning at his friend. "Who's in where, Taylor?" He asked, raising a curious brow when Taylor glanced at him.

"There's someone inside the house." Taylor said quietly, pointing up to the shadowy figure in the window for his friends to see.

"Mr. Red..." Zahra gasped, staring up at the window in a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Is that you? The _real_ you?"

The vines receded from the clearing, as the figure in the house shrank back into the darkness. "Aww, it _is_ him." Rebecca said, frowning as she walks over to join them all. "He's shy..."

"Mr. Red, you should come outside!" Raj's cousin called eagerly, bounding over to the houses doorway excitedly.

"... _Nnnoooo..."_

"How come?" They pouted, disgruntled at the rejection. Taylor frowned himself, his heart twitching sadly at the hesitance of their mysterious friend.

"... _because..."_ Redfield whispered, his strangely disjointed voice sounding full of regret and sadness. "... _you'll be... scared_..."

 _"Aw,"_ Raj's cousin giggled, flapping their arms at their sides as they smiled at the house playfully. "You won't scare _me."_ They assured kindly.

"Me _neither!"_ Sean quickly added, jumping over a fallen log to join the group, a wide and excited grin on his face. He began to chant eagerly, and some of the others quickly joined in. 

 _"Cooome out cooome out, cooome out_!"

"Uh, dudes and dudettes, maybe we shouldn't-" Raj began hesitantly, only to quickly be drowned out as everyone else joined in, the chant steadily growing louder and louder.

" _Mister Red, come out to play_!" Taylor called loudly, only for the whole group to fall into sudden, stunned silence; as the shadows within the house pulsed, a coil of darkness bleeding out from the doorway. 

It slowly boiled into a shifting black shape before their eyes. _"Hello..."_ Redfield whispered, in his eerie but playful tone.

 _"Aah!"_ Quinn gasped, stumbling back a step and falling over a log, almost pulling Rebecca down with her.

"Holy crap!" Diego choked, grabbing Taylors arm tightly, as he turned to frown at his friends reaction curiously.

"What the heck is _that?!"_ Raj cried, his eyes wide as he hurried to gather his younger cousin into his arms, hiding them behind his larger body.

"... _friends..."_ Redfield whispered, his glowing eyes widening amid the dark shadows of his lanky, shifting body. _"Play!"_

"Everyone... calm down!" Taylor scolded, scowling around his friends as he felt they overreacted to Redfield's revelation.

"Are you freakin' _kidding_ me, dude?!" Raj cried, gesturing wildly toward where Redfield hovered in the broken houses doorway. "Look at that thing!"

Redfield tried to get closer, but winced at the bright light streaming through the tree canopy. He shielded his face, recoiling, and receded back into the house. "... _nnnooo..."_ He whispered, a sad sounding sigh as he retreated from view. "... _no friends_..." He murmured, the shadows fading away slowly, disappearing from the doorway. "... no... play..." Taylor felt his heart lurch with pity and sadness, as their friends whisper turned almost inaudible. "... all... _alone..."_ The forest fell still, as Taylor tried to catch his breath, his eyes welling with tears of sympathy.

"Did you guys... see that?" Diego choked, his eyes wide as he stared at the house and shook his head in disbelief.

"What _was_ that?!" Raj cried, visibly panicking as he struggled to reconcile what he'd just seen in his head. "What _is_ he?!"

"Who cares?!" Aleister cried, scowling around them all fearfully. "Let's hurry and get the hell away from here!"

"B-but..." Quinn huffed, rising to her feet and dusting herself off, a dull blush staining her pale cheeks as she peeked up at them all in embarrassment. "He's not even following us. Maybe, he doesn't want to hurt us?"

Taylor and the others followed her gaze back to the house, where the shadowy shape of Redfield hovered in the dark doorway of the house once again. "I don't think he does..." Taylor said quietly, taking a tentative step toward the house. "I think... It seems kinda like he's trapped here."

"How?" Aleister scoffed, rolling his eyes derisively. "With magic?" He sneered, as Taylor rolled his head toward him and raised a pointed brow.

"Oh, because magic is _so_ impossible, Aleister." He drawled, snickering when Aleister's pale countenance flushed pink with embarrassment. "Mr. Red has shown us plenty of magic already... It wouldn't surprise me to fins there's more out there we don't know about."

"Yeah... some kind of evil spell." Zahra said, snapping her fingers thoughtfully. "Like if he tries to leave, he gets all weak."

"Poor Mr. Red..." Sighed Raj's cousin, peeking around her larger relation to gaze at Redfield's house sadly.

"We gotta help him..." Diego murmured, his hand slipping into Taylors and squeezing gently. "But what can we do?" He asked, as the group exchanged uncertain glances.

"Oh, I know!" Quinn gasped suddenly, a bright smile lighting her face. "You guys remember last year, when ny illness was really bad, and I couldn't leave the house for a whole week?"

"Yeah, we all came over and watched movies and stuff." Taylor said, smiling back at Quinn as she giggled happily.

"Oh, I get it!" Sean said, grinning around the group eagerly. "We do that for Mr. Red! Since he's afraid of the light, we could come back when its dark and... um... go _inside..."_

The group fell silent, and turned toward the house as one. Taylor swallowed, thinking back to the last time he went inside the house. "It... it'll be okay, right?" Rebecca whispered, stepping closer to his other side and taking his free hand in hers.

"What is this? Hold a Taylor day?" Taylor grumbled, though he giggled when his friends both jabbed him in the ribs playfully.

"As long as we remember the rules..." Quinn said, biting her lip hesitantly, as the small group of friends came together.

" _Everyone plays together_." Aleister said quietly, reluctantly offering his hand into the centre of the group. "We all go, or nobody goes."

"So..." Taylor asked, watching curiously as his friends all put their hands in together,looking up at him expectantly. _"Are_ we all going?" He asked, adding his hand to the top of the pile. He watched his friends expressions carefully, as one by one, they slowly nodded in agreement.

Taylor glanced toward the door, where a sad pair of eyes stared out at them. "I'll go, because I trust Mr. Red." He said, smiling toward the shadowy figure. "He's our friend! So let's do it!"

"We'll come back here at night..." Diego agreed, grinning at Taylor excitedly. "And we'll go inside. _Together."_

"And how are we supposed to convince our parents to let us?" Raj cried, clearly still unsettled by the idea, but unwilling to be the only one against it.

"We'll think of something." Taylor said confidently, laughing when Zahra began eagerly pumping the air with her fist. 

"Yes!" She cried, bouncing on her feet as she looked around them all eagerly. "Spooky-scary sleepover!"

As everyone began to eagerly discuss sleepover plans, Taylors gaze drifted back towards the ruins, where he glimpsed a pair of eyes, glowing in the dark doorway.

 _Present day_...

Taylor sat on his bed, staring out the window vacantly, as Quinn applied some light make up in his mirror. Their final day of school had passed in a blur, as had the majority of his Saturday, shopping with Quinn and Rebecca for the big event that night; Michelle's party. 

"Are you still thinking about what happened at the hospital?" Quinn asked quietly, glancing at Taylor's reflection in the mirror, as his hand noticeably curled around his injured wrist.

"Hmm?" He hummed, looking up at her innocently. "Oh, you mean the part where Diego came out of his coma, just to become the mouthpiece of a creepy forest entity?" He asked lightly, pretending to think for a minute before turning to look back out the window. "Nope, haven't thought about that _at all_." He crawled sarcastically, laughing when a scarf suddenly collided with his head.

"There's no need for the lip, Mr broody!" Quinn huffed, her cheeks puffing out in her ire. "Now stop being such a pouty pants, and start getting ready!" She ordered firmly, wrinkling her nose as he rolled his eyes and flopped backwards onto his bed.

"I am _sooo_ ready to unwind..." He sighed, grinning as he threw his arms in the air. _"Woo!"_ He cheered, before quickly propping himself on his elbows and smirking over at the redhead who had stolen his mirror. "I'm gonna let my metaphorical hair down, and really _chill."_ He said, frowning suddenly as a thought occurred to him. "Hmm, maybe not _all_ the way down, since we'll still be knee deep in enemy territory..." He hummed, grabbing a pillow and peeking his eyes over the top suspiciously.

"Ooh, you!" Quinn hissed, throwing a stuffed bat at his head, as he snickered and dropped his pillow back into place. "Michelle isn't that bad... all the time..."

"Uh, yes she is." Taylor snorted quickly, smiling innocently when Quinn turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Well," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she pointedly ignored his comment. "At least a party might get everyone's mind off the whole... Mr. Red situation for a while, you know?" She said, turning back to the mirror again, as she adjusted her cleavage.

 _"Must_ you do that in here?" Taylor grimaced, hiding his face behind his hand as he snickered. "My bedroom has long been an anti cleavage zone... You're ruining my whole image here..."

"Taylor, you don't _have_ an image." Quinn replied, utterly unfazed by Taylors comments or the way his jaw dropped in shock. "You're just a peacock, who struts about and preens yourself before any single guy you see."

 _"Quinn!"_ He gasped in outrage, lobbing his stuffed bat back at her head, his eyes wide at her accusations. "Why does _everyone_ keep calling me that?" He whined, as Quinn giggled quietly but otherwise ignored him. He watched her continue to get ready for a while, pouting at her until he finally couldn't help but snort with laughter. "Well... At least _one_ of us is excited about this." He huffed amusedly.

"I kind of am..." Quinn admitted readily, her cheeks darkening slightly as she bit her lip. "I, um, I feel pretty good about tonight." She said, drawing in a deep breath and sighing contently. "It's crazy but, even with everything going on right now, I think things are finally starting to go my way!"

"Well, if anyone deserves a little luck in their lives; it's you, Beautiful..." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as a frown slowly creased his brow. "Are you really, _really_ sure that Michelle's sudden... change of heart, has nothing to do with Redfield?" He checked, immediately feeling guilty as she shuddered at the mention of his name.

"I know... it seems that way, Taylor, but there's no proof... he, can even do something like that." Quinn said, frowning uncomfortably. "Maybe she really is trying to turn over a new leaf, like Becca said..."

"Quinn, sweetie, I _love_ that you're so beautiful and kind and just the cutest thing ever..." Taylor said, reaching for her hands and pulling her to stand in front of him. "But people who want to turn over a new leaf, generally don't need to be blackmailed to do it..." He whispered teasingly, as Quinn drew her hands back with a hiss and swatted his shoulder.

 _"Taylor!"_ She scolded, trying to scowl at him but failing utterly when he expressed the first genuine smile she'd seen since they'd first gone to the hospital.

"Alright, alright, don't hit me again!" Taylor protested, holding up his hands in surrender. "I get enough of that from freakishly strong handed, Rebecca..." He grumbled, sighing briefly as he grabbed Quinn's hands again and kissed them gently. "For what its worth though... I hope she's right." He said, smiling up at Quinn as she bit her lip and a light blush dusted her cheeks. "Oh god..." He said, feigning a sudden epiphany. "Can you imagine a world where Michelle is actually... tolerable?"

"Oh you!" Quinn giggled, swatting his shoulder again before moving back to the mirror. "Of course I can, silly... I keep _trying_ to tell you guys, she wasn't always like this."

"You know, it is insanely impressive how positive you are about her." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he watched the redhead move about his room with ease, as if there had never been a ten year gap that she hadn't done so. "I mean. If you were a guy, then I would be really turned on by that quality." He added, laughing when his stuffed bat collided hard with his head again.

He looked over at Quinn's reflection, to see she was blushing furiously. "Hush you..." She said, before squirming indecisively for a moment. "We... um, well... We kissed, _once,_ actually..."

Taylor balked suddenly, his brows rising as he tried to search back through his memories. He looked up in surprise when Quinn began to loudly cackle with laughter. "Oh my god, the _horror_ on your face!" She choked, turning to brace herself against Taylors dresser as she tried to catch her breath. "Not _you,_ you idiot!" She laughed, shaking her head as Taylor visibly sagged in relief. "I don't know if I should be offended that you're so obviously relieved about that..." She giggled, as Taylor quickly shook his head.

"Trust me, you shouldn't. I just," Taylor hedged, clearing his throat as he thought quickly. "I wouldn't want you to have wasted something so important as a first kiss on the likes of me..." He said humbly, beaming her an innocent smile as he fluttered his eyelashes. Quinn snorted and rolled her eyes at him, which Taylor decided to take for forgiveness. "So," he said, quickly folding his legs beneath him and looking up at her with rapt attention. "Spill, _now._ What happened? Dish the dirt, beautiful." He insisted, as Quinn giggled again and bit her lip as she blushed.

"Well... It was back in middle school. At that, um, Girl Scout camp, I told you about..." She said slowly, peeking up at him when he gasped loudly.

 _"Scandalous!"_ He exclaimed, waving his hands emphatically to hurry her on. "More, more; I need to know how you tamed the Wild Blonde Beast..."

 _"Taylor..."_ Quinn scolded, though her smile belied her feigned irritation. "Urgh, fine..." She groused, her smile softening as she thought back. "We were up super late talking about stuff... She asked if there were any boys I liked, and I said no... then, she asked if there were any _girls_ I liked..." She said, biting her lip as her grin spread, the blush staining her cheeks darkening. "Oh, Taylor..." She sighed, walking over to the bed and sitting beside him, leaning against him as he curled his arm about her shoulders. "I've always liked Michell, you know? Even before I knew that it was a crush, I just... I admired her. Maybe because she wasn't ever afraid to stand her ground... Maybe, just because she was all the strong things I felt I lacked in my life, because of..." She trailed off, trying to fight off her guilty, giddy grin as she glanced up at him with a joyful gaze.

"Well..." Taylor huffed, squeezing her shoulders gently. "At least that hasn't changed." He said sourly, rolling his eyes as Quinn chuckled against his shoulder.

"That was the night we kissed and, I don't know why, but..." She sighed, shrugging her shoulders lightly as she looked over at him. "Everything just kind of felt... _right._ Which, you know... was kind of a big deal for me back then."

Taylor grimaced, sighing as he ran his free hand through his hair. "Bad enough I knew Sean used to kiss her, now I'm gonna picture her sucking _your_ face too..." He complained playfully, as Quinn laughed and shoved him away, before pushing to her feet and turning back to him.

"I know you're just trying to look out for me, Taylor, and I appreciate it..." She said, smiling widely as Taylor grimaced at the impending 'but' he could hear coming. "But... You don't know her like I do." She said, as Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed knowingly. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Okay, okay, _fiiiine..."_ He finally groaned, throwing himself back on his bed to pout at his ceiling. "But just remember I got your back. She hurts you again, and I'm feeding her to Furball." He said, the small fox raising his head at the sound of his name from where he was curled ob Taylors pillow. 

Quinn laughed and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet and into a tight hug. "Oh Taylor, don't ever change..." She said lightly, as Taylor huffed and kissed her cheek lightly. "Now, enough with all this serious business." She said, exaggerating a frown and successfully making Taylor laugh. "We've got a party to get to, and _you_ still need to change mister!"

"Change? _Pfft,_ have you seen how I look right now?" Taylor scoffed, taking a step back and gesturing to himself with a smirk. His cocky expression fell to a pout, as Quinn raised a brow, flatly unimpressed with his everyday getup. "I _like_ this outfit..." He mumbled, tugging at the sleeve cuff of his net shirt fondly.

"And its a very nice outfit." Quinn said in placation, hiding a giggle by pinching her lips together. "But, how often do you get to go to a party like _this?"_ She said, waving her brows suggestively as Taylor huffed a d rolled his eyes. "You should go all out!" She finally pleaded, grabbing his uninjured wrist and tugging it lightly as she stamped her foot in petulant temper. "Really _wow_ everyone!"

"I _already_ wow everyone." Taylor snorted, flashing a smug grin. "With my sparkling personality!" He laughed, as Quinn's expression darkened, her cheeks puffing out in outrage.

"The _only_ person impressed with your 'sparkling personality', is _you,_ Taylor." Quinn said dryly, her hand settling on her hip as she frowned at him.

"Then I will be _excellent_ company for myself." Taylor sniggered, laughing to himself. "Besides, I'm bound to have more interesting conversations with myself than with Craig or Estela-"

"Taylor! I did not spend all day shopping with you and Rebecca, just for you to show me up tonight!" Quinn barked, interrupting him and causing his eyes to widen in surprise at her sternness. "You try something else on right now, or so help me I will strip you down and change you myself!" She threatened, jabbing a finger into his chest for emphasis.

Taylor sniffed, turning his nose up as he glanced at Furball and whispered loudly. "Some people have no class..." He huffed, before stalking past the fuming redhead. "I guess I can at least _try_ something else on. Just to see how it looks..." He drawled haughtily, as if it had been his own idea to change.

"Gosh, don't hurt yourself with all that enthusiasm there, Taylor." Quinn huffed, rolling her eyes as he picked out some of the new things he'd bought.

"You realise if I actually wear this jacket, its gonna clash something awful with my hair." Taylor groused, as he reluctantly pulled off his gaudy jewellery.

"Then _why_ did you _buy_ it?" Quinn sighed, shaking her head as she turned her back to give him privacy.

"Oh, stop pretending to be modest, you know you can watch." Taylor muttered, almost laughing when Quinn turned back with a devious grin. "I bought it because its tacky, expensive and beautiful... But that doesn't mean I ever have to wear it." He explained, sniggering as he pulled his vest and beloved net top over his head and tossed them on his bed, startling Furball off his pillow when they landed too close for his liking.

"Well, put it on anyway. We can sort your hair after, if we need to." Quinn insisted, offering him the plain black shirt to slip into. Taylor muttered continuously in petulant defiance of her bossiness, but still did as she ordered. He quickly traded his jeans for the new suit trousers he'd bought, buckling only a single belt around his waist somewhat forlornly. "Stop pouting. You can go back to wearing stupid amounts of belts tomorrow... Honestly Taylor, its only one night, stop behaving like you're being punished!" She scolded, laughing at his mutinous expression.

"But-" he protested, trying to slip and extra belt around his waist for effect, only for Quinn to slap his hand away and help him into his high collared jacket.

"Okay, you have to wear that, Taylor! You look amazing!" She insisted firmly, stepping back as she held his elbows to admire her handiwork. "I don't know what you mean about the jacket, it looks gorgeous. It's just the right shade of dark red... Very rebellious, but very suave. Just right for you... _And_ your hair." She added quickly, gesturing for him to loom at himself in the mirror.

"Hmm, I dunno... Isn't it over dressing a little?" He asked, though his brow rose as he examined himself, admittedly impressed by how well the outfit suited him. "I mean, I don't even like most of Michelle's friends, and you guys are..." Taylor trailed off as Quinn pointedly coughed and folded her arms over her chest, raising a brow at him daringly. 

"You don't even know who else is going." She scolded, shaking her head as she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "And you know, you _might_ even actually have a good time... If you can just enjoy yourself a little."

He cleared his throat and returned his gaze to his reflection, a grin forming on his lips as he imagined everyone's shock. "Oh alright fine, I will... But only 'cause I look _damn_ good in this outfit."

"Oh, you noticed." Quinn huffed, giggling when Taylor turned and jostled her away lightly. "So, are we finally ready?"

"I guess..." Taylor sighed heavily, raising a hand to his chest as if burdened by the weight of his good looks and great fashion sense. "As we'll ever be. Lets go, beautiful." He said, allowing her to lead the way through his quiet house to the door. "Fiddler, Furball! No eating each other! And no fighting, else you're both sleeping outside with Mal!" He called, closing the door behind them as Quinn laughed and shook her head.

They chatted and joked as they walked towards Quinn's house, taking the last turning before her road to divert down the street to Michelle's house. After a half hour more walking, they finally crossed the threshold into Michelle's living room, which was packed wall to wall with Westchester students. "Oh my god, Quinn, Taylor!" Rebecca squeaked happily, rushing up to them and throwing her arms around each of them briefly. "We're so glad ya here, right _Meech?"_ She said, turning to the blonde with a raised brow.

Michelle winced, looking almost sick as she looked over at Taylor. "Yeah, so... _glad."_ She drawled reluctantly, folding her arms over her chest as she scowled at him.

"Michelle..." He greeted, glancing at Quinn's shy smile and cursing himself internally for being such a heroically good friend. "Thanks for the invite." He said warmly, allowing himself a semi-genuine smile, as he bit back the warning he wished to give her. "I've actually kinda been looking forward to this." He added, as Quinn choked and stomped on his foot, flashing him a brief glare.

"I _sooooooo_ don't care..." Michelle scathed, as she rolled her eyes. They landed on Quinn beside him, and the blonde instantly brightened. "Hey, Quinn!" She said, smiling fondly as she offered her hand to the redhead. "Remember that horrible vase my mom used to have? You _have_ to see this new travesty she bought..."

"Well, it can't be uglier than the last one, _can_ it?" Quinn giggled, taking Michelle's hand and lacing their fingers together, winking at Taylor as she passed him. "Be good!" She hissed at him, before disappearing toward the kitchen. 

"So, hows your party so far?" Taylor asked Rebecca, shaking his head at Quinn's obvious happiness, before turning to the other redhead in his life.

"Pretty good so far!" Rebecca laughed, winking at him conspiratorially. "Ya gonna thank me for ya invite, or what?"

"I _might,_ once I figure out if this party's actually fun or not..." Taylor hummed, snickering when Rebecca jabbed him in the arm.

"Oh, I think ya'll find it plenty fun..." She said leadingly, bouncing on her toes briefly, before running her eyes over him with a click of her tongue. "But, even if it _is_ a total bust, at least ya _killin'_ it in that outfit!"

Taylor snorted and looked across the crowd, his brows rising in surprise when he spotted Jake talking with some guys near a corner of the room. _"Ooohh,_ you're a sneaky she wench!" He said lowly, poking an accusatory finger into her shoulder. "Did you bring him here for me as a present? If so, thankyou very much... I love it..." He snickered, as Rebecca rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.

"I _invited_ him, yes..." She groused, folding her arms over her chest as she pouted over at the corner where her brother stood. "But he's barely said hi to anyone. Those are some of his friends from high school, they're dropping off siblings mostly but they kinda made themselves at home talking to him..." She complained, though Taylor was only half listening. 

His attention was stolen entirely when Jake looked up suddenly with a small frown marring his brow, as if he sensed someone watching him. His expression dissolved into a smile when he caught Taylor looking at him, and he threw him a rough salute.

Taylor smiled slyly and winked back at him in response, causing him to laugh suddenly and shake his head as he turned back to his friends, though Taylor was immensely pleased to note the lingering grin curving his lips. 

"Urgh, _weird."_ Rebecca complained, shivering grimly as she scowled over at her brother petulantly. "I almost forgot about ya gross crush on him... _Oh my god_ , please tell me it don't go right back to when we were kids! Ya kinda knew each other then, right?"

"Nah, I was a little young back then, Becca..." Taylor snickered, shrugging his shoulder at her vaguely, as he continued to watch Jake from the corner of his eye. "We uh, we just... spent a little time together recently." He hedged awkwardly, finally looking away from his friends brother fully.

"Yeah, I heard about ya little flirt fests." Rebecca drawled dryly, grimacing at him as Taylors cheeks flushed guiltily. "... What?" She asked suspiciously, raising a brow at the colour infusing his cheeks.

"Nothing, I just... I mean, _ahem..."_ Taylor coughed abruptly, his face burning under his friends scrutiny. "He uh, he gave me a ride home... after, I saw you that night... after the game..." He admitted, biting his lip to contain his guilty but unashamed grin.

 _"What?!_ I offered ya a ride!" Rebecca cried, her eyes widening in surprise, as she glanced between Taylor and her brother.

"Yeah..." Taylor snickered, glancing back at Jake, before smirking at Rebecca's shocked expression. "And _now_ you know why I said no..."

"Urgh, this is more serious than I was prepared for..." She said grimly, shaking her head as she rubbed her brow. "Are ya, like, _datin'?"_

"I _wish."_ Taylor muttered beneath his breath, running a hand through his hand as he cleared his throat. _"Ahem,_ not that I know of... But, would it really be so weird, if I did date your brother? I mean, come on, you have to admit we'd look _damn_ fine together."

Rebecca grimaced, trying to hold onto the expression for a brief pause, before finally laughing at Taylors worried glance. "Not really..." She admitted, shrugging as she relaxed somewhat. "I mean if we'd dated in the past, sure, but that ain't exactly somethin' we have to worry about, is it?" She snorted, eyeing him fondly as he grinned back at her.

"So, no double dating you both on the side in the future then, huh?" He teased, laughing when she groaned and shoved at his shoulder.

"Taylor if ya were interested in me, I might feel weird about ya datin' my brother..." Rebecca said dryly, glancing over at Jake with a small frown creasing her brow. "That said... Ya hurt him, and I'll drag ya sorry ass straight into those godforsaken woods, and tie ya to a tree for Mr. Reds weirdo pets to eat."

 _"Whoa..."_ Taylor balked, blinking in surprise at his friends lightly delivered but obviously sincere threat. "Hey, how come _I_ get the 'you hurt him' speech? What if its the other way round?" He demanded suddenly, pouting at her reproachfully.

Rebecca smirked, leaning forward to kiss Taylors cheek briefly. "That's why he's got his own speech..." She said in a low, conspiratorial tone, as Taylor snorted in returning amusement. "I'm serious though, be careful with him... He's flighty by nature, and if he gets bored he's likely to take off." She warned, glancing at her brother in frustration.

"Well, I will just have to be ever so brave and face that possibility for myself." He said, feigning a pained sigh. "And I think I can reasonably manage to promise not to hurt him, too..."

"Hmm, good." Rebecca huffed, as they fell into a not quite awkward, almost companionable silence.

"... Do you think he's got a daddy kink?" Taylor asked suddenly, startling a disgusted shriek from his friend.

 _"Taylor!"_ Rebecca cried, swatting his shoulder hard as he laughed. "I cannot believe ya just put that awful imagery into my head! Now I can't get it out!" She complained dramatically, as Taylor sniggered unashamedly.

He watched her for a moment longer, grumbling to herself and grimacing as she rubbed her forehead, his smile slowly fading as he examined her. "So, I don't mean to be a buzzkill... But how're you holding up?" He asked gently, laughing when Rebecca raised her furious grey eyes to meet his gaze.

"Well I was doin' fine til about thirty seconds ago." She said scathingly,  huffing a deep sigh as she shrugged dismissively. "Considerin', ya know... everythin' that's goin' on." She said, looking up at him with a reluctant grin. "Or at least, I don't feel like I'm gonna die at this moment."

"Well hey, that's something these days." Taylor teased, drawing the fiery into a hug, and wincing when she thumped his arm again, grumbling to herself despite returning his hug.

"Oh, some of my cheer friends just walked in..." She said, drawing back from his arms suddenly, her face turned towards the door. "Do you mind if I..?"

"Not at all." Taylor said, waving his brows suggestively. "I'm gonna go say hi to Jake..." He said, winking at her as she grimaced and shook her head lightly.

"Urgh, _gross."_ She murmured, before glancing up at him with a small smile. "Why don't ya come find me later? We can catch up some more." She suggested, squeezing his hand before walking off to greet her other friends.

 _Depends if I find myself somehow occupied with your brother before then_... Taylor thought, a smile spreading across his face as he squeezed through the big clump of people in the living room, and made his way over to Jake. "Hey, Top Gun." He said, bumping his fist to Jake's shoulder briefly.

"Hey, Boy Scout." Jake snickered, amusement in his gaze as he turned and ran his eyes over Taylor quickly. "Becca said ya might be comin'."

"Oh yeah?" Taylor asked, his heart skipping a beat in excitement. "Does... that mean you were asking about me?" He asked, smirking when Jake nearly choked on his drink, his cheeks reddening slightly beneath his stubble.

 _"Pfft, no!"_ Jake protested, still coughing as he patted his chest. "Becca just, ya know, _happened_ to mention it..." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat and wincing, as he carefully took another sip of his drink.

 _"Riiiight."_ Taylor hummed knowingly, before nudging Jake's shoulder with his own playfully. "Well, in any case, I'm glad I showed up." He said, averting his eyes around the party briefly in the hopes of hiding his glee.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, pausing a moment as he knocked back his drink. "Me too." He finally admitted, drawing Taylor to look back at him.

He flushed under Jake's cerulean gaze, biting his lip as he glanced beside them. "Uh, where'd your friends go?" He asked suddenly, looking back at Jake as the pilot shrugged in disinterest, his eyes instead locked onto Taylor.

"Wandered off somewhere." He said dismissively, waving a negligent hand around the party. "They won'ta gone far though, I expect... There ain't exactly a ton of available entertainment in this town." He huffed, before shaking his head and finally raising his eyes to meet Taylors. "Ya look good tonight, by the way..."

"Um, excuse _you_ very much." Taylor huffed, setting a hand on his waist as he jut his hip out slightly, his heart leaping into his throat when Jake glanced down to watch the movement. "I _always_ look good."

"Aw, c'mon, I didn't mean it like that... Ya always look nice." Jake protested, though a hint of a grin twitched the corners of his lips. "That outfit just happens to look _especially_ good. Looks a heck of a lot easier to get _out of_ too, without the belt shop attached." He added, smirking when Taylors cheeks burnt red at the comment. "It's just..." Jake continued, frowning at Taylor slightly as he looked up to shyly meet the pilots gaze. "Ya were such a happy kid... 'til, ya know. And, it seems like every time I've seen ya lately, ya seem... _worried."_ Jake finally explained, his brow rising curiously as Taylors grin widened.

"I'm _totally_ fine!" He said, taking a deep breath and sighing slowly, surprised but pleased to find he was in fact, telling the truth. "Things _have_ been a little crazy lately..." He admitted, cocking his head and running his eyes over the pilot briefly. "But, it's nothing I cant handle." He said confidently, as Jake met his gaze and hummed thoughtfully.

"Well..." He said at last, his voice thick as he set his empty glass down on the nearest available surface. "I don't wanna keep ya from ya friends, so..." He coughed, gesturing to the patio doors. "I, uh, I'm gonna... go get some fresh air."

"Sure," Taylor said, biting his lip as he stepped aside to let the pilot slip past, turning as he squeezed by, so they remained face to face, though now much closer. "Catch up with you in a bit?" He asked, as Jake smirked, stepping back slowly as he winked and offered another of his rough, two fingered salutes.

Taylors heart raced as he watched Jake move out to the backyard through sliding doors, before he dashed into the kitchen and grabbed himself a drink. "Oh my god..." He gasped, after downing a glass of an unidentified liquid, which burnt pleasantly and seemed to kill at least a handful of over-stimulated brain cells. _"Oh... my... god..!"_ He choked, fighting off a huge grin as he recalled the pilots intense gaze upon him.

 _"Taylor!"_ A voice startled him from his giddy thoughts, and he turned to see Quinn waving at him energetically. "Over here!" She called, gesturing for him to join her and Michelle by a bowl of punch. "Do you know what you're wearing to homecoming?" She asked as he approached, grabbing his hand and gazing up at him nervously.

"I was thinking of getting a long dress," the redhead continued, as Taylor glanced toward the patio doors briefly, his face warming slightly before he forced his attention back to his friend. "But, Michelle says I should go knee length..."

"I was _trying_ to tell Quinn what great calves she has." Michelle sneered, as if expecting Taylor to deliberately undermine her efforts. "She should totally show them off."

"What do _you_ think, Taylor?" Quinn asked urgently, looking up at Taylor with such earnest concern that he couldn't fight the fond grin which spread across his face.

"I cannot believe the words are leaving my mouth here, but..." He huffed, pausing as if pained for a moment, before continuing in a strained whisper. "I'm with Michelle on this one."

"Wow, I never thought Taylor and I would be on the same side." Michelle said, shaking her head slowly and clicking her tongue. "But he's right to agree. A short dress will be much easier to dance in." She said, taking Quinn's hand and twirling her around, the both of them laughing happily.

"Yeah, _that_ and I'm pretty sure you wanna get those long legs on display." Taylor snickered, surprised when Michelle actually winked at him playfully.

"I guess that's a good point." Quinn hummed thoughtfully, smiling at the obvious effort Taylor made to be nice to the blonde. "It's been so long since I was even able to dance..." She sighed wistfully, before shaking her head and looking back at Taylor curiously. "Do you know who _you're_ going with, Taylor?"

"Me, _pfft,_ I mean..." Taylor said awkwardly, his heart suddenly lurching as he came to realise he had no date. "... Diego and I usually either went together or skipped them, watched movies at mine..." He admitted quietly, as Quinn's brow furrowed in sympathy, and she stepped into his arms to embrace him.

"Better hurry up, or all the good ones'll be gone." Michelle scoffed, looking away with a frown as Quinn comforted Taylor over his unresponsive best friend. "And by good ones, I mean the only losers in the world who might _actually_ date a pathetic idiot like you." She added, as Taylor flinched at the callous words. "But I don't need to worry about that... Quinn, you'll go with me, right?" She asked, looking over at the redhead as she drew back from Taylors chest.

"You just insulted one of my best friends..." She said slowly, looking over at Michelle with a small, disbelieving frown. "And, you did it _deliberately."_ She said, shaking her head as she swallowed thickly. "I can't say I find that too inspiring for me to agree to be your date..."

"Wha, but I-" Michelle choked, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief, as Quinn chafed Taylors jacket sleeves with her palms. Taylor frowned down at her, more upset by the blatant distress rolling off of his friend than the actual barb from the blonde. 

"Hey," Taylor said quietly, brushing aside a small section of the redheads hair, before slipping his finger beneath her chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to meet his gaze. "It's okay... I knew she was only playing, _right_ Michelle?" He lied playfully, and what he hoped was convincingly; flashing the blonde a warning glance as Quinn frowned over at her dubiously.

"Y-yeah, totally!" She said, catching his meaning quickly and plastering a wide grin across her face. "I bet he'll have the hottest date there...I mean, after _you,_ that is..."

 _"See?"_ Taylor said gently, smiling down at Quinn in what he hoped looked like support. "So, lets not cut that pretty nose off to spite your cute little face; and say yes to the nice girl who just asked you to be her date?" 

Quinn glanced back at him, hesitating for a pause so long he thought she might still refuse, when she instead let out an excited squeal. "Okay!" She beamed, though she pointed a warning finger at the blonde. "But tone back the teasing... I don't like my friends being upset, playing or otherwise." 

"I can _totally_ do that!" Michelle quickly promised, a relieved smile spreading across her face, as she flashed Taylor a grateful look.

"Well then... I would _love_ to be your date!" Quinn said, practically glowing at the blonde, much to Taylors equal amusement and disgust.

"Yes!" Michelle squealed, raising a hnd to her chest briefly as she sighed. _"Phew..._ I was so nervous about that. I'll be right back, I have _got_ to go tell Joss." She said, moving forward to give Quinn a quick kiss on the lips, before breezing past them.

Taylor feigned vomiting, as Quinn practically squeaked in surprise and delight, though he quickly gave in to her happiness and began to laugh, when she was too absorbed to even notice his playful jibe. "And people say _I'm_ sickening to watch." He snorted, shaking his head as Quinn bounced excitedly before him.

"Oh my god!" She whispered furiously, fanning herself dramatically. "Can this night get _any_ better?!"

"I have some very definite ideas of what would make this a better night for _me..."_ Taylor quipped, peeking at the patio doors again, before grabbing one of Quinn's hands and pulling her close. "But for _you,_ the answer is obviously _yes._ Because your gonna dance with me. Right _now."_

"W-what?" Quinn choked, her eyes widening as Taylor quickly pulled her against him with a smirk. "I don't-"

"Oh _yes_ you _do."_ He snickered, tugging her from the kitchen to the centre of the living room, where a few people were swaying to the music. "Come on." 

"But, Michelle..." Quinn gasped, laughing as Taylor bumped his hip to hers and tried to get her to dance with him. 

"Will still be there, after we've, as the older generation would say, 'busted a move'." He said, as the music switched to an upbeat song, and he began to shake his hips.

"What do you call _that?"_ Quinn laughed, a hand covering her mouth as she glanced around, flushing and pretending not to know him.

"Come on..." Taylor huffed, wiggling to the music and making an exaggerated rotation of his hips. "You _know_ I look just like Shakira." He said, winking at the redhead as she giggled and shook her head. After another moment of watching him and biting her lip, she finally stepped closer and began to move with him, and by the time the next song started, she was beginning to finally give into it. _"Woo!_ Yeah, that's right!" Taylor cheered, bouncing around in a circle briefly, as he waved his hands above his head.

"This is _so_ fun!" Quinn gasped, laughing at Taylors attempt to start a mosh pit to a far too cheerful song. "Oh, I wish I could feel like this every day..." She sighed, as she rolled her hips slowly, flashing Taylor a cheeky grin and laughing when it earned her a double thumbs up from him. "People always have something to say about me at school... My appearance, my illness... It's hard just being _myself_ sometimes."

 _"Pfft,_ even more reason why you _should,_ Quinn!" Taylor huffed, glancing around to check what space he had, before slowly bending over backwards to touch the floor briefly and then slowly rising again. "You're never gonna escape people talking about you. It's just a part of life... People are assholes." He said, pressing his back to Quinn's and shuffling a step sideways with her. "What matters," he said, twirling around and grabbing her hand, pulling her back against him with a smirk. "Is how _you_ feel about _yourself!_ Just, let all the other stuff _go,_ beautiful!"

Quinn whooped loudly in response, throwing her arms over her head and swinging her hips, as several other people nearby cried out in reply, and more people joined the makeshift dance floor. She glanced at Taylor, flushed and beaming as she giggled happily. "Oh my god... That was... that was..."

"I know, I know..." Taylor sighed. Throwing his arm over her shoulder as he bounced and shuffled his legs slightly. "I'm amazing, you can say it-" he said, choking off with a laugh when she swatted his shoulder playfully.

 _"Liberating,_ I was gonna say, mister ego!" She laughed excitedly, as the song changed. She exchanged a glance with Taylor, biting her lip to contain a shy smile. "Do you remember..? The dance we used to do to this?" She asked, as Taylor swept his hands down his front and spun in a circle quickly.

"Oh, _yeah..."_ He said suavely, winking at her and causing her to laugh and shake her head fondly.

"Oh Taylor..." She giggled, as he began to clear a small amount of space around the two of them. "You're sure you remember?" She asked, raising a brow as she grinned and stepped up beside him.

 _"Pfft,_ yes. Little miss doubty pants." He snorted, smirking as he winked at her. "Five, six, seven, eight!" He counted, as the chorus started, and he and Quinn began to move together.  They took two steps, as people turned to look in their direction, before sliding smoothly to the right. They grinned at each other, as the people watching began to clap in time to the music.

 _"Woo!"_ Quinn giggled gleefully, as they spun in opposing directions, before facing each other again and following the motion with two quick claps.

"Oh _yeah..."_ Taylor cheered smugly, as he shook his ass, winking at Quinn as she did the same, while the crowd cheered uproariously. "Let's bring this thing home, beautiful!" He said, copying Quinn's grapevine motion, as she all but glowed; seemingly in her element.

Finally they prepared for the grand finale, turning to press their backs together and holding their hands up like guns, the trademark Charlies Angels pose. Taylor laughed as a wild cheer rise from the crowd of onlookers, bowing with a smirk as he held hands with Quinn. "You know, I'm starting to remember why nobody was surprised when you came out to the world..." Quinn hummed, startling an amused laugh from Taylor as she shook her head fondly. "But god, that was even better than when we were kids... We have definitely still got it!" She giggled, as he drew her into a tight hug and swayed her gently.

"Hey, I was just copying the master." He huffed, kissing her brow briefly before releasing her with a wink. "You're the _real_ dancer here."

"I forgot how much _fun_ you are to be around, Taylor..." She giggled, as Taylors jaw dropped in deigned outrage.

"Er, excuse _you."_ He snorted, shaking his head in mock disgust. "I would have you know, _everything_ about me is entirely  _un_ forgettable." He sniffed haughtily, as Quinn grabbed both of his hands and gazed directly into his eyes.

"Promise me, Taylor..." She said urgently, her amusement fading to be replaced by sincerity. _"Promise_ me, we wont stop talking again, like we... like we did before."

"Oh, Quinn..." He said, squeezing her hands and drawing them to his lips to kiss softly. _"Never."_ He promised, his throat thick as she pulled him back into another tight hug.

"Quinn!" Michelle squealed, rushing over and grabbing the redheads hand, as she and Taylor parted. "I didn't know you could dance like that! You've _got_ to teach me!" She insisted, glaring at Taylor briefly as she tugged Quinn away. He snorted in amusement as several others gathered around a clearly dazed Quinn, wanting to learn the steps themselves. He smiled to himself as he slowly shook his head, drifting towards the backyard for some fresh air.

Outside, he quickly spotted Sean, surrounded by people from multiple sports teams. Estela was also sat by herself a short distance away, though she was scowling at the skyline, seemingly watching the stars as they slowly awoke.

"So, are you doing anything after the game next week?" One of the girls around Sean asked, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "The cross country team is gonna make paleo brownies and..."

"Uh, that sounds great, but..." Sean coughed awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving, but uncertain how to handle it.

"... But, Sean's actually _super_ allergic to brownies." Tom covered for him easily, patting his friend on the shoulder in feigned commiseration. "Not chocolate, just brownies."

"Oh my god..." The girl gasped, her hands rising to her chest as she spared Sean a pitying look, while Tom hid a snicker behind his hand. "That's _awful!"_  She cried, as Tom and Sean exchanged a glance.

"Kinda like looking into the twilight zone, huh dude?" A voice huffed from behind him, and Taylor whirled to see Raj sitting in a lounge chair by the pool, tossing potato chips  into the water one by one.

"Oh, hey Raj." He said, running a hand through his hair as he recovered. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." He huffed, as he moved to sit on the lounge across from his friend.

"Just one of my many skills." Raj chuckled dryly, as Taylor rolled his eyes and snorted.

"So, are you having fun?" He asked, raising his brow when Raj hummed for a moment, before flashing  him a brief smile.

"Surprisingly..." He said, shaking his head briefly. "Yeah, kind of, dude. I mean, things could be better but, it beats being at home, I guess..." He said, shrugging dismissively.

"Come on, the night is still young." Taylor huffed, jostling Raj's shoulder gently. "I bet you I know just the way to up your spirits."

"Yeah, what's that little doodlejump?" Raj asked, raising a brow in curiosity despite himself.

"Wanna walk around a bit?" He asked, raising his brow at his friend curiously. Raj grinned and pushed to his feet, offering his hand to Taylor.

 _"Please,_ dude." He sighed in obvious relief, as Taylor took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled up beside him. "I can't listen to that girls laugh anymore, man..."

"Right?" Taylor huffed, glancing over to where Sean and Tom were stranded by the group surrounding them. "Sounds like a porpoise, choking on its own spit." He snickered, sharing a grin with Raj as almost on cue, the flirtatious girls laughter cut through the sounds of the party. "Step one, is to get away from all of _that."_ He snorted, as Raj laughed quietly and followed him around the edge of the pool to the fsr side, away from the rest of the party.

"So, I gotta ask..." Taylor finally said, breaking the comfortable and thoughtful silence which had fallen between them. "Why'd you decide to cone tonight?"

"It's dumb." Raj mumbled, glancing at Taylor briefly as he shrugged, before looking away again in obvious embarrassment.

"I bet it's not." Taylor said lightly, smiling over at his friend. "What if I tell you something dumb?" He offered, quickly turning to walk backwards with slow lazy steps.

"Maybe..." Raj hummed, a smile twitching at his lips. "Depends on what you got, dude." He said, tipping his chin for Taylor to continue.

"Okay, well, I..." Taylor began, clearing his throat as he turned to face forward again, his cheeks staining red slightly. "I got points off my Language Arts homework, because I misspelled the word 'orange'..." He admitted shyly.

Raj laughed, the sound a pleasant rumble which brought a fond smile to Taylors lips. "You mean, the most phonetically sound word in the English language?"

"See?" Taylor huffed, glancing around to make sure nobody else had heard his confession. _"That_ was dumb... Though in my defense, I was listening to a really catchy song at the time." He added with a pout, before looking up at Raj expectantly.

"I came because..." Raj sighed, his smile slowly fading as he looked down at the ground. "Well... being with your friends in a place you hate, is still better than being alone, right doodlejump?"

"Raj..." Taylor murmured, but the large boy did not wait for him to comment further, moving over to the chrome plated grill nearby and running a finger across the lid almost reverently. "I, uh... I guess you're right." Taylor said quietly, walking over just a second behind him. A moment of silence enveloped them, as Raj inspected the grill even further. Taylor glanced at Raj's yearnful expression, before looking back at the grill with a raised brow. "Please tell me you're going to grill us something up?" He asked quietly, startling the other boy to glance at him. "I would _not_ turn that down."

"I could..." Raj hummed thoughtfully, his eyes lighting with enthusiasm as he began to consider the option. "I make a pretty good Philly cheesesteak, with hot peppers... Maybe some vegetable skewers..."

"Pretty good?" Taylor repeated, his stomach rumbling at the thought. "Dude, that sounds _amazing."_ He said eagerly, stepping closer as Raj continued to think.

"With a little bit of my special, au jus?" Raj chuckled, winking down at Taylor as he smirked cockily. "Bet you won't find a better sandwich anywhere." He declared his chest puffing proudly.

"I didn't know you were into cooking..." Taylor huffed, though his amusement faded as Raj's expression darkened suddenly.

"You don't _actually_ know much about me anymore." He said lowly, as Taylor winced and lowered his eyes to the floor guiltily. Raj sighed as a distinctly uncomfortable silence hung over them, and he plopped down into one of the chairs at a nearby table. After a moment of hesitation, Taylor followed suit and slowly sat opposite him. "Heh, sorry dude... that was a little harsh."

The awkward silence lingered a moment longer, before Raj sighed again, leaning forward on the table as he fiddled with the cuff of his worn jacket. "My parents were always too busy to make dinner, and my aunt never home til the early hours of the morning, and me and-" he stopped abruptly, swallowing heavily as he cocked his head and lowered his eyes. "Me and my cousin were getting _really_ sick of frozen dinners. I phoned my grandma, and she sent me a handmade recipe book..." He said fondly, picking at a loose thread as a small smile curled his lips. "The first thing I ever made on the stove from it, was a grilled cheese for them. They... they said it tasted like happiness."

"Raj..." Taylor murmured quietly, as his friends lip twitched, and his tentative smile disappeared.

"Anyway, I uh, I didn't mean to snap at you, little doodlejump." Raj said, clearing his throat pointedly and looking away, his throat bobbing as he swallowed heavily. 

"It's okay..." Taylor said, smiling reassuringly, despite the fact Raj was looking the other way. "... I'm still thinking about that grilled cheesesteak." He added cheekily, winking when Raj huffed in amusement.

The large boy cracked a smile, which quickly turned wistful. "I'd love to open my own diner one day..." He sighed, shaking his head as he stared into the distance vacantly. "Sandwiches, burgers, French fries, onion rings, potato salad... Hell, maybe I could even go all out and upgrade to a fancy restaurant." He snorted, effectively ending his dream with a dismissive shake of his head.

"Whoa there, wait just a damn minute..." Taylor said, raising his hands as Raj looked up in surprise. "Bibbidy bobbidy, back the fuck up a second..." He said, his eyes wide as he stared at Raj imploringly. "Tell me more about this potato salad..."

"Oh yeah, I've got a great recipe for that, little doodlejump..." Raj chuckled fondly, smiling at Taylors obvious enthusiasm. "Yep, that's my dream. To have my own diner... and name it after my cousin."

"That'd..." Taylor began, swallowing thickly as he looked away briefly, sucking in a shaky breath to steady the suddenly rapid beat of his heart. "That'd be a really good name..." He said quietly, looking back at Raj as his expression turned wistful.

"Yeah, it would be..." He sighed, huffing quietly as he sat back and looked off into the distance. "But it's never gonna happen."

"What? Why not?" Taylor asked, frowning at Raj's sudden despondency. "It sounds like you've got some pretty genius ideas already..."

"Lots of ideas, _no_ money." Raj huffed, shaking his head ruefully as he looked back at Taylor. "I'll be lucky to go to Westchester Community College. What chance do I have of going to an actual culinary school, dude?" He asked lightly, lowering his eyes to the table as his expression slowly darkened. "And then there's business school, marketing classes... It's just, not possible. For _me."_

"Well, don't give up yet." Taylor said brightly, already using his sworn enemy; math, to work out how much of his savings he might be able to divert into a tuition fund for his friend. _"Ahem..."_ He coughed suddenly, his cheeks flushing guiltily as Raj looked at him suspiciously. "You've still got time to figure everything out! We haven't even graduated yet..!"

"That doesn't change the facts, dude." Raj snorted, looking out across the party. "My family has, like, no money."

"Money is overrated." Taylor said dismissively, narrowing his eyes before leaning forward suddenly and propping his elbow on the table. "I tell you what... I beat you at arm wrestling _right now;_ you apply for the fanciest culinary college this side of the state line, and don't even say a word about cost! The bet is, you _apply._ That's all." He said firmly, raising a brow daringly as Raj rolled his eyes at him. "Unless you're just too... _scared..."_ He said tauntingly, causing Raj's expression to tighten, as he leaned forward and offered his own arm.

"You're gonna eat those words, doodlejump..." Raj promised, as they locked hands and prepared to begin.

"Okay, on the count of three." Taylor said, grinning eagerly. "One, two..." He said, his eyes slipping over Raj's shoulder and widening in obvious horror.  "Oh my _god,_ why would she _do_ that?! _Urgh,_ I think I'm gonna be sick... The female body, does absolutely _nothing_ for me..." He said grimacing as feigning a gag.

Raj's eyes widened almost comically in surprise, and despite himself he whirled around to look. Taylor smirked, quickly tipping his hand to the left, pressing the back of Raj's hand against the tabletop. "... _Three."_ He said, releasing Raj's hand to lean back in his chair and smirk. "You know, I've heard _great_ things about The Andy Lucas Culinary College..." He said thoughtfully, as Raj turned back to stare at him in shock.

"Y-you..." He stammered, blinking dazedly as he looked down at his hand and then up at Taylor again.

"Repeat after me..." Taylor said, clearing his throat dramatically. _"I am going to culnary school."_ He said, gesturing for Raj to repeat him, as he batted his eye lashes and hummed impatiently.

Raj paused another full minute, staring at Taylor in disbelief as his cheeks slowly turned a shade darker. When he did finally speak, his words escaped him in a rushed whisper. "I'm _goingtocunryscho..."_

"I'm sorry, Raj, I didnt quite catch that..." Taylor hummed lightly, feigning a confused frown. "Lets try and work a little _enunciation_ in there, shall we?"

Raj snorted and rolled his eyes, smiling fondly as he shook his head at Taylors antics. ". _.. I am going to culinary school_."

Taylor beamed a fantastic grin at his friend, winking coyly before he cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted to the people on the far side of the pool. " _Did you assholes hear that?_ " He demanded, as Raj turned even darker and glanced around with a nervous chuckle, though he couldn't keep the smile from his face. _"Raj is going to culinary school after graduation!_ "

"Hell yeah, man!" Sean called back, beaming a thrilled smile over at Raj encouragingly. "Live your truth!"

Taylor looked back at Raj, who was grinning from ear to ear, and laughing quietly at Taylors behaviour. "See?" He said, waving his brows playfully. "Now you _gotta_ go, or Sean will be upset. Like, he'll cry and everything... He's a total wuss. It'll be _way_ ugly."

"You're a weird little dude, you know that dude?" Raj huffed, though he was clearly happier from their talk together. "... Thanks."

"I try." Taylor said, shrugging dismissively before pushing to his feet and offering his hand to Raj. "Now, somebody mentioned grilled cheese. _And,_ how about we raid Michelle's kitchen while we're at it..?"

"You go ahead," Raj said, shaking his head fondly. "I like how quiet it is over here..." He said, exchanging a nod with Taylor as he lowered his hand, before turning to return to the party.

He paused as he neared Estela, debating for a moment, before cautiously approaching her. "Estela..?" He hedged, wincing when the girl whipped a suspicious glare towards him. "Sorry, I just, uh... I wondered if there was any change..? You know... Your mom-"

"As much as Diego." She said curtly, her dark eyes heavy with suspicion and wariness as she huddled against a tree. _"Unresponsive."_ She said, the word alone enough to cause Taylor to shiver.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, his heart turning heavy with the familiar sense of guilt which he wasn't entirely sure he would ever shake. 

"I know." Estela replied simply, watching him with her head cocked thoughtfully, as Taylor blinked at her in surprise. "Everyone's sorry... It's not going to _change_ anything." She said, glancing around the crowd dispassionately.

 _"No..._ But sometimes, knowing that people care can help it hurt less..." Taylor said slowly, as Estela rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

"You really are a sentimental idiot." She said dryly, looking away, though Taylor noticed the corners of her lips twitch slightly. "But, that's just fantasy. Nobody really cares about anyone else without having a reason, or without getting something in return." She said, shaking her head as she returned her gaze up to the stars. "We're all liars... even to ourselves. We say we care, that the things we do are to protect others, when really-"

"Estela, _I_ care." Taylor said suddenly, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. He held up his other in surrender, as she stiffened and turned a furious glare towards him. "I don't know what's going on with you, and I don't know what's happened in your life to make you so... _detached._ But I _care._ And I think you're mom will be okay, just like Diego. Soon." He said, squeezing her hand briefly as her dark eyes bored into his deep blue gaze distrustfully.

"... You're a _fool."_ She whispered, shaking her head as she pushed away from the tree she had been leaning against. She wrapped her arms around her torso, a surprisingly vulnerable gesture for the fierce girl, before turning away from him. "You should be more careful. Trust can get you hurt, just as easily as ignorance." She said, and Taylor flinched as his younger self flashed before his eyes, trusting and naive. He shook his head to dispell the image from his mind, and by the time his vision had cleared, Estela was nowhere to be seen.

Taylor frowned, turning quickly to look for the scarred girl, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. _Girls are so confusing_... He thought, shaking his head slightly as he huffed, and continued on his way around the pool.

"Why do my ears feel like they're burning?" Sean called as he passed, and Taylor smiled as he turned to his friend, spreading his palms innocently as he pushed away the strange encounter with Estela. "That right there, _that's_ a guilty face." Sean laughed, hopping to his feet and enveloping Taylor in a surprise hug. "Its good to see you, I was wondering if you were gonna come and say hi at all." He said, drawing back and raising a brow at Taylors outfit. "You look _really_ good tonight by the way." He added, as Taylor pouted up at him.

"Why does _everyone_ keep saying that like its such a surprise?" He complained, folding his arms over his chest and scowling petulantly at his friend. "I was gonna come say hi earlier, but I thought I should let your _adoring fans_ get to have their way with you first."

Sean grimaced, looking back to the group he'd just escaped and shrugged as he turned back to Taylor. "Call it fifteen minutes of fame." He said, a small smile still gracing his lips. "I'm sure everyone will go back to crapping on me for jumping sports, soon as Ben's starting again."

"That's the spirit, pal." Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes as he broke out in a playful grin. "Although, you should enjoy it... Bask in that glorious feeling of being a part of the in crowd again, even if only for a little while. Must be, uh... _nice."_

"It's pretty nice not having to worry about having gum thrown at you, or making intimate facial acquaintance with a locker..." Sean shrugged, chuckling quietly as he grinned at Taylor. His expression faltered slightly, as his eyes landed on Tom, standing awkwardly at the edge of the crowd. "I wish I could rub some of this feeling off on Tom... So he could enjoy it with me, you know?"

"That all you wanna rub off on Tom?" Taylor asked coyly, raising his hands in placation and laughing when Sean choked in sudden surprise. "Hey, I'm just clarifying which kind of rubbing you're after here!" He teased, snickering as Sean patted his chest hard and tried to recover. "Come on dude, you know he's happy for you... Maybe that's just good enough for him."

"Dude, you..." Sean began, shaking his head as he coughed a final time,  before blushing lightly and looking back at his friend. "If he could feel as great as I feel right now, the two of us would be _unstoppable."_

"So..." Taylor said, frowning thoughtfully. "Are we back to the rubbing thing again, here?" He asked, laughing when Sean flashed him an exasperated but amused glare. "Heh, you're a good friend Sean." He finally snickered, clapping him on the shoulder fondly. "I'm glad I've got you in my corner."

"Hey, Sean!" Tok called, drawing their attention back towards him. "What'cha doing over there?" He called, spreading his palms to gesture around him.

"We're talking about rubbing!" Taylor called, laughing at Sean and Tom's suddenly reddening cheeks with glee. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, as Sean looked back and forth between Taylor and Tom, until Taylor finally snorted and shoved at his shoulder to push him toward his friend. "Go ahead..." He sighed, feigning a pained expression. "You're adoring public awaits!" He cried dramatically, before dissolving into a for of giggles. _"And,_ I'm getting cold anyway." He huffed with a lopsided grin.

"Thanks, Taylor." Sean said warmly. "Catch up with me later though, yeah?" He added, pointing at Taylor as he stepped back towards his friend. "I feel like we never get to hang our enough!"

Taylor clicked his tongue, miming a pair of finger guns at his friend and pretending to shoot them. "Will do." He crawled, winking as Sean laughed and turned away. He huffed in amusement, glancing around the area briefly, before humming to himself and sauntering back towards the patio doors. As he walked back into the house, the sound of sudden applause made him jump, and he double checked he hadn't done anything particularly wondrous as he walked in. 

Instead, he happened to see a group, huddled around Zahra nearby. "Hmm, what is this devilry..?" He wondered aloud, startling when a voice answered from the doorway just beside him.

"Zahra's puttin' on a pretty good show." Jake drawled, eyeing Taylor in amusement as he flushed lightly. "Though, not as good as a certain someone's dancin' skills earlier..." He added, smirking when Taylors flush deepened to a full scarlet blush. _"Ahem..."_ He coughed,  clearing his throat as he apparently took pity on Taylors burning akin, gesturing back to Zahra. "Makes total sense she'd be into magic tricks!" He snorted, as Taylor tried to regain some miniscule thread of his dignity.

He subtly drew in a deep breath, willing his racing heart to return to a more normal speed, and watched distractedly as Zahra plucked a spider from high on the wall. Her captive audience leaned in for a closer look, as the spider scrambled in her palm for a brief moment; before slowly rising into the air, and launching toward the crowd.

Zahra smirked wickedly, as someone screamed. "What? _Scared?"_ She scoffed, her eyes lit by amusement beneath her red contacts. "It's not even _touching_ you." She drawled, and Taylor huffed in amusement and smiled upon noticing that the spider was hovering in mid air, just inches from a guys face.

"Whoa..." Jake hummed, his eyes wide and clearly impressed by Zahra's display. "Are ya _seein'_ this, Taylor?"

"Oh, I see it alright..." He snorted in reply, folding his arms over his chest as he smirked sidelong at the pilot. "They don't call her Snape for no reason, you know?" He snickered, as Jake's eyes found his.

 _"Do_ they?" He asked curiously, his expression easing slightly as Taylor snickered gleefully. 

"No." He laughed, winking at Jake conspiratorially. "That's just the nickname I gave her. She hates it, but it suits her... 'cause they're both magic and grumpy as fuck." He snickered.

"Okay, ya just _tryin'_ to freak me out now." Jake huffed, narrowing his eyes and nudging Taylors arm playfully.

"Maybe..." Taylor hummed in agreement, lifting one shoulder as he adopted an innocent expression and leaned slightly closer to the pilot. "Or _maybe,_ I'm telling the truth." He murmured lowly, biting his lip as he drew away again. "Who knows?" He asked mysteriously, spreading his palms with a grin.

"Very funny." Jake snorted, rolling his eyes before running them over Taylor curiously. "Ya really stickin' at nicknamin' then? I would've thought ya got bored by now."

"I never get bored when it comes to a challenge." Taylor said, smirking as he raised a brow at Jake, whose cheeks dusted a faint pink beneath his stubble. "But yeah, I've got one for most people now... 'cept Becca..." He admitted.

"Why not?" Jake asked curiously, his brow raising and his lips quirking in amusement as Taylor cast him a sly sideways glance.

"Well, see, she has this older brother..." He drawled slowly, fighting to keep his voice steady as he grinned. "And kicking, is the last thing my ass wants from him." He said, snickering and watching with intrigued amusement, when Jake began to cough and splutter in surprise.

The pilot was saved from responding however, when Zahra waved her hand and the spider zoomed back to her, resting right in the middle of her palm once again. "Yeah, yeah, I'm incredible." She sniffed, waving her hands dismissively, as applause broke out from the crowd around her. "Now scatter, I gotta get me some punch." As the crowd dispersed, Taylor offered Jake a brief wink, before walking up to Zahra and pulling her to a more secluded corner.

"Are you _nuts?!"_ He gasped, his cocky façade disappearing, as he stared at her in disbelief.

 _"Pfft,_ are _you_ nuts?" She scoffed in reply, eyeing him with a smirk. "You're gonna cause traffic accidents, wearing that getup." She said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Okay, first off; I'm taking that as a compliment, so thankyou very much." Taylor huffed, winking quickly before returning to his precious concerned expression. "Second of all, I was _talking_ about the witchy stuff!" He said in a furious whisper, glancing around worriedly.

"Oh, _relax."_ Zahra drawled, waving a hand negligently, as she rolled her eyes at him. "Everyone thinks it was all fake anyway." She sneered unconcernedly.

Taylor fell silent for a moment, eyeing his friend worriedly. "... After what happened the other day, are you sure you wanna just be throwing your powers around like that?" He finally asked quietly, attempting to be tactful in their public setting.

"You mean when I totally saved our butts from that weird vortex?" Zahra scoffed, heedless of their surroundings and smirking as Taylor glanced around nervously.

"You got lucky." He hissed, his face falling into a frown. "We have no idea what'll happen next time..!" He warned, his deep blue eyed pleading as they met Zahra's crimson gaze.

"Urgh, _fine,_ whatever..." She sneered, scowling as she finally looked away. "Not my finest moment of control. But I _did_ kind of save us. _And_ I've been practising all day." She said, the faintest hint of a pout curling her lips, as she glanced back at Taylor. "I know the other day was weird... But, that doesn't necessarily mean these powers are _bad,_ right?" She asked, a beat of silence passing between them, as Zahra waited for Taylor to say something in reply. 

He made her wait a full minute with a flat expression, until she had just began to squirm guiltily, before finally snorting in amusement. Zahra immediately scowled, and jabbed her fist into his shoulder, but there was a hint of a curl to her lips as she shook her head and looked away. "Loser." She huffed, in what Taylor assumed was as close to affection as he was likely to get.

"You know, you should totally teach me, Snape." He said, grinning and waggling his fingers mystically, as she scoffed at him and rolled her eyes.

"I don't think it works like that, Dumbledork." She sneered, smirking when he feigned an outraged gasp. "Besides, even I haven't totally figured it out yet."

"You just don't want me to out-awesome you..." Taylor accused, pouting as Zahra rolled her eyes again. _"Fiiine."_ He huffed, jabbing a finger into her shoulder with a playful grin. "But this means you have to use _your_ powers to help me out some time." He insisted.

"That, I can definitely... consider." She said, sniggering when he pouted at her. "Depends how and you want it, what you're willing to give me for it and generally how I feel about it, as well as at the time." She said dismissively, tipping her chin towards the door suddenly. 

"Anyway, you should go check on Aleister." She said, changing the subject abruptly. "Last I saw he was outside, pacing by himself. Which would be normal, for me, but it's all wrong for our class prez." She said, shivering as she grimaced. "I'd check on him myself, but... feelings make me feel icky."

"Uh huh..." Taylor hummed knowingly, a grin tugging at his lips, as he eyed his prickly friend bristle under his scrutiny.

 _"Ahem."_ She coughed, glowering as she turned away. "Come find me later, or whatever. I've got some more... tricks up my sleeve." She said, waggling her fingers at him over her shoulder, before stalking away.

Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he turned and headed outside, looking around until he spotted Aleister slowly walking around the pool, and casually falling into step beside him. He glanced at Taylor, as if seeing him for the first time. "Good heavens, Taylor..." He drawled, raising a brow at him. "You appear to be dressed to impress tonight."

"Yeah, I know... I clean up good and shiny." Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes at yet another friends surprise over his smart dress. Aleister smiled faintly, before turning back to gaze out over the still, dark pool. _"Soooo..."_ Taylor drawled slowly, bouncing on the balls of his feet with every other step he took. "What's up with you?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine." Aleister hummed, offering Taylor another faint smile. "As you know I threw all those pills away the other day and, it's just taking some adjustment... without them." He said, clearing his throwt as his cheeks coloured slightly. "I'm... a touch out of sorts."

"Good thing we're at a party then, hey?" Taylor said, turning around to walk backwards as he spread his palms to gesture around them. "There's so many things to distract you! For example..." He said, looking around thoughtfully, before his gaze landed upon a suitable distraction for the pale boy. "There's all the cute people!" He said, beaming as he pointed across the pool. "Like... that girl over... _there!"_ He said triumphantly, pointing to a familiar looking dark skinned girl with curly hair and glasses. "Now tell me _she_ isn't cute." He dared Aleister, as the pale boy looked over curiously.

"The throng of girls you've indicated is hardly illuminating Taylor..." He finally huffed, as Taylor scowled at him, certain the pale boy was being deliberately difficult. "Besides which, most of those you're gesticulating toward like the unsubtle buffoon you are, are in fact already dating."

 _"Fine."_ He said curtly, pouting as he turned around. "What about..." He murmured thoughtfully, looking around again and pointing to a guy with short hair and a cute smile. "That guy?"

"Taylor, why exactly are you trying to set me up with a notoriously straight person?" Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "For that matter, why are you trying to set me up at all, _despite_ never actually asking my inclination?" 

"Why not?" Taylor huffed, glancing at him slyly. "Gotta get that stick outta your ass somehow, right?" He snickered, as Aleister rolled his eyes in disdain. "Besides which, we were only supposed to be pointing out cute people, you're the one with the gutter mind." He teased, sighing in feigned weariness. "I suppose we're just going to have to bring out the big guns..." He said, gesturing to himself with a cocky grin and successfully startling a laugh from Aleister at last.

"Well, I can certainly agree that you can be extraordinarily _distracting,"_ he chuckled, shaking his head fondly as a small smile graced his lips.

"You really know everyone at school, don't you?" Taylor asked curiously, glancing around and barely recognizing half of the people he'd pointed out.

"I suppose." Aleister said dismissively, shrugging his shoulder. "It's kind of a requirement... comes with the student body president territory. Know thy constitution, and such other drivel."

"Maybe that's why it was so weird to see you out here all alone." Taylor hummed, his amusement fading slightly as Aleister fell silent for a long pause.

"It may surprise you to learn, Taylor," the pale boy began quietly, his piercing eye flashing to Taylor only briefly, before darting away again. "That alone is a feeling I've grown quite accustomed to by this point in time." He said, slowing to an idle dawdle around the pool. "What with all of the... _ahem,_ unusual phenomena lately, and I can't really talk to anyone about it..."

"Well that's horseshit, and I am gravely offended by your callous disregard of my awesome and supportive friendship." Taylor scoffed, looking away with a scowl before looking back a few moments later with a sheepish grin. "Got carried away..." He snickered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "But, seriously... You know you can always talk to me, Aleister... if you want, or need to."

"Hmm." Aleister hummed, pausing in his pacing at last to peer down at Taylor with a curious frown. The expression cleared after only a second, and a small but gebuone amole graced the pale boys face. "I shall endeavour to take you up on that offer sometime... But for now, I'll settle for some refreshments." He said, gesturing towards the house. "Care to join?"

"I'll catch up in a minute." Taylor said, wrapping his arms around his chest lightly. "I uh, could use a little rest now too." He said, allowing Aleister to drift away as he circled back to the house, watching the party happen around him as if having an outer body experience. The wind picked up, tickling the back of his neck, right before he felt a cold hand settle upon his shoulder. _What the_ \- he thought, whirling around quickly, as his hands curled into tight fists. 

 _"Ahhhh!"_ Quinn gasped, raising her hands as her eyes widened in surprise. "Don't hit me!" She cried, biting her lip apologetically.

"Oh my _god,_ Quinn!" Taylor choked, taking a step back as he ran both his hands through his hair. "You scared the goddamn crap outta me!" He scolded, shaking his head and swallowing heavily, as he imagined how awfully the encounter could have gone.

"I'm sorry!" Quinn said, looking suitably contrite for all of thirty seconds, before a bright smile lit her face. "Michelle's getting some people together to play a game, and I thought you should come join in!"

"Oh... yeah, sure." He said distractedly, nodding in vague agreement. "Sounds fun." He said, as Quinn rolled her eyes at him.

"Say it with a little less enthusiasm, Taylor..." She giggled, grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the house. "I think you're scaring people off with your over-excitement!" 

Taylor huffed and rolled his own eyes, as he reluctantly followed inside to where a small group was gathering around a circle of beanbag chairs. "Quinn!" Michelle called, beaming at the redhead from a couch and patting the empty space beside her. "Come sit by me!"

"Obviously!" Quinn giggled, plopping down to the indicated space beside the blonde, while Taylor took an empty beanbag between Zahra and Tom. He looked up, to see Rebecca sitting across from him and her brother leaning against the wall behind her, watching with an intrigued half smirk.

"So..." Rebecca drawled, glancing around everyone. "What're we playin'?" She asked, her brow raising as she noticed Taylors cheeks stain with colour and glancing behind her, only to scowl at her brother and shoo him away.

"So long as its not spin the bottle, 'cause offense intended, I am _not_ prepared to kiss any of you, losers." Zahra scoffed, as Taylor cleared his throat and pointedly looked at the ground, trying to ignore the rising heat in his gut which reminded him there were some people present he would very much be willing to kiss.

"Uh, how about 'Never have I ever'?" He suggested, laughing in surprise when Tom began to cheer eagerly.

"Heck yeah!" He cried, waving his arm over his head. "I always win that game! My life is... pretty boring..." He added, slightly more awkwardly.

"What is this? Kindergarten?" Michelle scoffed, looking around then all with a sneer. "Were gonna play; A _re You Scared!"_


	10. Party Favours: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell asleep editing  
> I feel awful. My daughter randomly caught an illness yesterday and god i am holing i dont have it coming, but... it dont feel gòod dudes...
> 
> Anyway here ya go, hope ya enjoy...
> 
> x My love to you all x

**10.**

**Party Favours: Part Two.**

_Are You Scared..?_

The name hit Taylor like a blow to the head, and caused his breath to catch in his throat. Rebecca's smile faltered, as Quinn turned pale and even Zahra visibly stiffened, while Raj's eyes narrowed from where he sat on a couch nearby. Taylor noticed Jake's amusement fade, glancing at each of them quickly as he noted the reaction from each of them.

"Maybe..." Rebecca began, her voice quivering slightly in uncharacteristic hesitance. "Maybe we could play somethin' else?" She said, her grey eyes meeting Taylors, as he tried to remind his lungs how they were supposed to function.

"But I don't think I know this one!" Tom said quickly, his eyes wide at the prospect of something new and different. "How do you play?" He asked, as Taylor felt his heartbeat steadily increase, his hand rising to his chest as if trying to prevent it from physically breaking free.

 _Say something_... Taylor thought to himself, his tongue heavy in the back of his throat, choking him and forcing him to remain silent. _Say anything; we can't do this... We can't do this_! He silently screamed, but to no avail, for his body remained locked in place; rigid and unresponsive to his mental pleas.

"We choose one person to be the monster." Michelle explained with a sigh, as if frustrated by the lack of eager response. "And they go around the circle trying to scare people. If you flinch, you're dead." She said, as Taylor flinched violently.

"But, um, the monster can't touch you." Quinn said, her voice trembling slightly as she watched Taylor worriedly, though he Ws too preoccupied to notice, trying to convince his heart not to explode. "You uh, 'live' if... if you can tell the monster... _I'm not scared_." She said, the words echoing in Taylors mind; sending him tumbling back into a memory, as his heart seemed to finally stop racing; and beating altogether.

" _I'm n-not scared! **I'm not scared! I'm not sca**_ -"

"Yo, Taylor." Zahra said, nudging him with her heavy boot and drawing him back to the present, his heart suddenly thumping painfully in his chest. Taylor gasped a sudden deep breath, unaware of when he'd stopped breathing. He exhaled shakily, as he shook his head and tried to clear it.

"What?" He croaked, his voice hoarse from the effort of clawing his way back from the past. He glanced around to see several people looking at him worriedly, his friends and Jake included. "Sorry." He muttered, looking down at his lap as his face burnt in shame, his heart racing unevenly once again.

"I said, are we gonna play or what?" Michelle sighed, rolling her eyes in frustration at Taylors distracting behaviour. "C'mon, Tom's never played before!"

"Yeah!" Tom said shyly, smiling hopefully around the group. "It sounds fun!" He said, as Taylor gripped the edge of his chair, his fingers like claws as he looked around his friends; and they stared back at him.

Taylor blinked, drawing in a deep breath and looking down at his lap, trying to will himself to stand up, to move away, to shout no; but he remained as he was, locked into his seat. _This can't be happening... how can we_..?  He thought distractedly, blinking back the stinging tears of frustration which tried to fall from his eyes. His fingers curled tighter into the chair, the pain of their tight grip finally allowing him to think coherently. _It won't be the same... Nobody will get hurt..._ He told himself, finally feeling himself relax slightly in light of the thought.

"You know what... y-yeah." He said, clearing his throat to prevent himself from croaking fearfully, his eyes rising to pass over his friends slowly. "It's..." He said, pausing to lick his lips and swallow down his bubbling nerves. "It's just a game." He whispered, despite trying to keep his voice steady. "Let's do it." He said, trying to pretend he didn't notice the faint tremor still in his voice.

"Are ya _serious?!"_ Rebecca burst scathingly, glaring at him in disbelief and anger. "You guys are just _fine_ with this?!" She demanded, looking around the rest of the circle furiously. Zahra met her gaze defiantly, clearly egged on by her reaction. Quinn however, looked away as soon as Rebecca turned her direction. "No. No way." She said firmly, scowling at Taylor as she shook her head. "Do whatever ya want, but leave me the _hell_ outta it." She snarled, standing sharply and stomping away. Jake's cerulean eyes met Taylors briefly, a frown forming upon his brow before the pilot too disappeared, moving away to follow after his sister. 

Raj slowly got up too, and Taylor felt his heart clench painfully in guilt, when he saw his arms were shaking. As he walked away, Taylor heard him mutter quietly. _"Not_ cool, Taylor..." His expression twisted by grief and rage. Taylors guilt amplified significantly, and he looked back down at his lap, trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

"What's _their_ problem?" Michelle scoffed, her eyes wide in the face of such volatile reactions. "Are you scared is, like, the _best_ game ever." She sneered, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at what she assumed to be mere overreactions.

"Yeah it is!" A loud voice sounded directly behind Taylor, making him flinch in surprise. "Dibs on being the monster!" Craig jeered, as he prowled around the edge of the circle slowly.

 _"You_ want to be the monster?" Taylor snorted, his deep blue eyes filled with guilt, regret, pain and anger as they slowly rose to glare across at the jock. "Should be an easy role for you." He bit out grimly, his lip curling in distaste.

"You wanna start somethin', Taylor?" Craig demanded, his hands clenching into fists at his side, his gaze lighting on the yellowed bruise upon Taylors jaw.

Zahra's eyes narrowed, her expression suddenly fiery. She got to her feet, gesturing to her now empty chair. "I'm the monster this round." She said, tossing her mohawk back over her shoulder. "Have a seat." She insisted, in a tone of voice which brooked no refusal.

"Urgh, fine Z." Craig growled, his expression hardening as he stomped over to her vacated chair and sat down.

Zahra turned a circle slowly, before suddenly lunging toward Quinn. " _Are you scared_?!" She snarled, as Quinn shrieked and grabbed Michelle's arm, before the both of then dissolved into giggles. Zahra grinned, and moved on to Tom.

"Are you scared?" She almost whispered, coming to a halt before him, her hip jutting at an angle, as she shifted her weight onto one leg.

"You're not gonna get me so-" Tom began, chuckling lightly as he smiled up at Zahra fondly. He cut off with a sudden jump however, as Zahra clapped her hands together with a resounding crack, less than an inch from his face. _"Gah!"_ He gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.

 _"Boom."_ Zahra said, clicking her tongue and firing finger guns at Sean's basketball teammate. "Dead." She drawled, smirking as she turned and bent over backwards, her face hovering inches from Taylors as her eyes rolled back in her head, her teeth bared in a wolfish grin. "Are you _scaaaaaaaared?"_ She leered, as Taylor stared stoically into her ghoulish face.

"I'm not scared." He said quietly, as Zahra's eyes returned to normal, meeting his briefly and seeming to see far deeper into his guilt ridden heart than he'd anticipated she would.

Zahra straightened up, scowling in an attempt to hide a frustrated pout. "Boo." She sneered, flicking a concerned gaze over Taylors still stoic and stiff posture. "Way to break my streak, Taylor."

"Sorry." He replied distractedly, shaking his head slowly. "Maybe next round." He murmured, meeting Zahra's crimson gaze for a few seconds longer, before averting his gaze across the room, uncomfortable with how deep his friend seemed to see into him.

Zahra turned, slowly making her way to stand over Craig. She stared at him for a long second; then two. "Are you scared?" She asked quietly, her tone menacing as she peered down at him.

"Sorry." Craig snorted, rolling his eyes as he raised his arms and folded them behind his head. "But while I do kinda wanna barf whenever I look at you..." He said, averting his gaze as his cheeks reddened. "I'm not sca-" Craig turned stiff, his eyes widening in horror as a huge cockroach suddenly crawled up his face and into his nose. _"Aaauuuggghhh!"_ He cried, jumping to his feet and clawing at his face, while everyone else in the circle save Taylor howled with laughter.

"Oh my god, Craig!" Michelle gasped, her hand on her chest as she tried to catch her breath from laughing so hard. "You are _so_ dead!"

Taylor watched in disconnected apathy, as Craig's expression bled into a snarl, scowling around the laughing faces accusingly. "No way! That doesn't count!" He insisted, glaring at Zahra as she folded her arms over her chest and smirked at him.

"You can always go ahead and _leave,_ if you don't like it." Taylor suggested dryly, and after a moment of consideration Craig finally sat back down, grumbling to himself as Zahra moved on to her next victim.

"Are you _scared?"_ She drawled, as Taylor tuned out, losing himself in his thoughts as he half turned in his seat, wondering where Rebecca and Raj had gone; and hoping they would forgive him for his decision to stay.

 _They must understand how I feel... Must have felt the same defiance, to not be beaten by it.._. He thought, biting his lip as Zahra elicited several shrieks and laughs from the far side of the circle, in her element as a terrifying monster. _Maybe they were right not to play though_... He thought with a faint grimace, inhaling deeply through his nose, before slowly releasing a heavy sigh. Taylor lost track of time in his own mind, trying futilely to think through whether he'd made the right choice to stay and play, his every thought circling back to another argument he'd already had with himself; thus renewing the process in a frustrating and endless cycle. 

 _"Are you scared_?!" A voice roared, and he blinked as he was finally shaken from his distant thoughts, sucking in a deep breath as he realised he'd been out of it for sometime, as Craig was taking a turn as the monster.

"Yeah, you keep yelling louder every time, but its just not getting any scarier, ya dork." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes as Craig started to circle once more, clearly growing frustrated.

"So, if he doesn't get the rest if us out this round, what happens?" Tom asked curiously, looking over at Taylor as if sensing his sudden escape from within his own mind.

"We vote on a new monster, and everyone laughs at how lame and un-scary Craig is." Michelle said lightly, grinning as Craig scowled and rounded on Taylor.

"I'm just gonna save you the trouble of asking and tell you now, Craig..." Taylor said thickly, shaking his head briefly to try and dispel some of the lingering fogginess from his thoughts. "You've never been _less_ scary." He said, forcing a tight smile to his curl his lips into a facsimile of a smile. "Maybe you shouldn't try so hard..? Get back to basics, ya know? _Ooh!_ Maybe you should threaten to put me in the trash can again..." He offered tiredly, mentally exhausted from the game and all the baggage which came with it.

"Shut your face, Taylor." Craig growled, leaning in close as he braced his hands on the beanbag either side of him. Taylor blinked, leaning back in his seat as a shiver crept up his spine, the jocks bulky frame obscuring almost everything around them.

"Hey!" Quinn called, her tone nervous as Taylor met Craig's frustrated glare with one of his own. "Monsters can't touch anyone!"

"Cool it, ref." Craig called over his shoulder, smirking cruelly as his gaze never left Taylor. "I'm just touching the chair." He said, leaning even closer and dropping his voice so low, even Taylor could barely hear. "You've been real cocky this last week, Taylor, and I'm getting pretty goddamn tired of it..." He leered, as Taylor glanced around the available areas he could see, barely able to make out Sean watching with a frown from the doorway to the pool, while Jake and Rebecca scowled over at them from the kitchen. "Soon, and I'm talking _very_ soon..." Craig continued, drawing Taylors attention back to him. "I'm gonna make you pay in bruises, for every little smartass remark you've ever made." He said, his glare disappearing into a broad grin. _"Scared_ yet?"

Before Taylor could answer, Craig heaved up on the chair, toppling him over backwards. _"Aaahhh!"_ Taylor gasped, as he hit the floor hard and rolled sideways.

"What the _hell,_ man?!" Tom demanded, launching up from his chair with a scowl. "That's out of line!"

"What?" Craig huffed lightly, spreading his palms in a display of innocence. "I didn't lay a finger on him."

 _"Taylor!"_ Quinn called, as Taylor shakily got to his feet, waving her away as she stood from the couch. His body moved automatically, carrying him toward the back door. He hurried outside, desperate for fresh air and solitude, but Craig and the others trailed close behind him, along with several other observers. People already in the backyard turned upon their approach, watching intently.

 _"Aww,_ where you going, Taylor?" Craig scoffed, clearly enjoying what he thought was a victory on his part, little realising Taylors thoughts were far from the jock and his battered ego. "The game was just starting to get fun!"

"Get the _hell_ away from me." Taylor said quietly, his gut churning as he tried to smother the memories which tried to surge in his head, trying to drown him in guilt and sorrow. He tried to back away further, but with the pool to one side of him and the hedge to the other, he found himself boxed in, and the panic in his chest began to swell like a pulsing storm.

Jake appeared from inside the house, a dangerous look on his face as he strolled casually past the gathering crowd, his hands in his pocket as he turned and firmly planted himself between Taylor and Craig, blocking the jocks path. "Kinda sounds like its time for ya to leave, Big Guy." He drawled, his sharp eyes calculating as he assessed Craig's potential threat.

"Come on! Its not my fault Taylor can't take a joke!" Craig defended himself tauntingly, as Taylor desperately tried to shake himself free of his past. He looked up as Jake started forward, his hands almost freeing themselves from his pockets, when Zahra placed a hand on his shoulder and caused him to pause.

Craig's sneer faltered briefly, as Zahra slowly walked up to him, fearless and furious. "You heard action man. Time to _go."_ She said firmly, and Craig stumbled backward suddenly, shoved off balance by Zahra's powers, Taylor realised.

"Jeez, _okay!"_ The jock scoffed, grimacing at the intense girl as he straightened his football jersey. "No need to-" he stumbled again, nearly falling as he scrambled for the side of the house.

"Hmm." Estela hummed thoughtfully, and Taylor turned to see her leaning against the side of the house, a drink in her hand as she watched the display with vague interest. "Impressive. You'd best do as they say, Craig." She said, finishing her drink and slowly following the jock as he broke into a run and vanished around the corner.

Taylor curled in on himself, flinching as his friends gathered around him and Rebecca settled her hand on his shoulder gently. "Are ya okay, Taylor?" She asked, her brows knitting in concern.

"I'm fine." He lied, swallowing thickly as he unsubtly eased his shoulder free of her touch. "Just... glad he's gone." He muttered, glancing around awkwardly until his eyes found Sean, who was rubbing the back of his neck guiltily. "You had the chance to explain to him the other night and finally sort things out with him..." He said reproachfully, averting his gaze as he felt himself flare with shame for the accusation, but too overwhelmed by other conflicting emotions to focus on it.

"I know..." Sean sighed, turning to gaze after the jock regretfully. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I... I should've tried-"

"I'm sorry." Taylor said quickly, shaking his head as he wrapped his arms around himself. "I didn't mean to accuse, I just..." He trailed off, as an awkward silence fell over the group for a brief pause.

"That was really awesome, Zahra!" Quinn said suddenly, beaming at the still scowling girl in an effort to distract them all from the oppressive atmosphere.

"Gotta admit, I ain't never seen a guy literally fall over from fear before." Jake chuckled, though his cerulean eyes were focused, as he eyed Taylor with indiscreet concern.

"Uh, yeah!" Rebecca coughed, her eyes widening briefly as she made to touch Taylor again, before changing her mind and lowering her hand to curl across her stomach. "That's _totally_ what happened.  What a klutz." She said, glancing around the others nervously.

 _"Nobody_ messes with my friends." Zahra said firmly, glancing at Taylor before looking away, faint spots of colour dusting her cheeks as she scowled after Craig.

"Come on, Taylor..." Quinn said gently, offering him her hand. "Let's go back inside." She suggested warmly, and after a moments pause, he nodded and slowly accepted her hand. She led him back inside, where he quickly excised himself to get a glass of water from the kitchen. He drank it slowly, his pulse still pounding loudly in his ears.

 _I shouldn't have let him get under my skin like that_... He thought, drawing in an unsteady deep breath, and exhaling slowly. _We were all supposed to be having fun._ He sighed, shaking his head as he gazed around the crowded party, looking for friendly faces to try and reconnect with his earlier good mood.

He spotted Jake rooting through the snack table a short distance from him, and raised a brow curiously. "Find anything good?" He asked, smiling as Jake looked up with a grin.

"Plenty." He said, winking at Taylor and smirking when his face reddened faintly. "But if I eat another tortilla chip, I'm gonna turn into an ear of corn."

"How do you know you're not already?" Taylor asked, cocking his head curiously, as he set his empty glass down by the sink. "This could all be a dream..."

 _"Pfft,_ a _corny_ one." Jake snorted, chuckling gently with Taylor, before frowning slightly. "Seriously though, if I don't get somethin' that ain't baked, fried or from a packet, I think I might actually die."

"Which would definitely be denying the world a very good loo-" Taylor coughed, his cheeks burning as he quickly averted his gaze looked around, pretending not to notice Jake's raised brow and smirk. He hummed, moving across the kitchen to where he'd spotted a bowl of apples behind the punch bowl. "Eureka! I just saved your life... and, the world some eye candy." He said, laughing when Jake  snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Nice eyes, Boy Scout." He said, smirking as he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers demandingly. "Pass me one of those, would ya?"

"You want 'em?" Taylor asked smirking playfully, as he pushed the bowl behind his back and leaned against the counter, waving his brows suggestively. "Why don't you take them from me?" He snickered, as Jake raised a brow, his lips quirking in amusement.

"That sounds an awful lot like a challenge, if ya ask me, Boy Scout..." He said,  a lopsided grin spreading across his face as he slowly approached.

"And I'm _very_ competitive." Taylor said, desperately trying to keep his face straight and knowing he was failing, as his cheeks ached from his wide smile. He bit his lip as Jake moved closer, his heart skipping a beat as the pilot reached out with his right arm to try and snag an apple. Taylor smirked, and batted the bowl to the left raising his brows innocently when Jake narrowed his eyes at him playfully.

The pilot reached out again with his left hand, and Taylor slid the bowl to the right, hiding it behind his back again, as Jake's arms caged him against the counter, firmly planted either side of him. "Hmm. Looks like you caught something there, Top Gun... But I can assure you, its _not_ an apple." He teased, his eyes dancing with amusement as Jake raised a brow at him.

"Oh? And uh, is this somethin' good for me?" The pilot drawled quietly, his clear eyes intent on Taylor as he flushed and bit his lip briefly.

"Hmm... Not sure yet." He hummed, his gut squirming pleasantly at the pilots close proximity. "Think some intense, possibly even rigorous, research would be necessary to find out..." He said lightly, his heart seeming to crash against the base of his throat as Jake hummed thoughtfully. "For now though, I uh, I guess you earned this..." He finally said, scooting the bowl around towards him and allowing him to grab an apple.

"Wanna split this with me?" Jake asked, raising a brow curiously, though Taylor noticed he didn't actually move away.

"Yeah, I-" Taylor began, watching as Jake wrapped his hands around the apple and after a brief pause, twisted it into two halves. "What the-" he choked, his eyes widening as he looked up at Jake in awe. "How the _hell_ did you do that?!" He demanded, pointing to the two spoke halves almost accusingly.

"Because I'm multi-talented." Jake said, smirking as he bit into one half of his apple, his eyes watching Taylor worh amusement as he floundered between awe and disbelief of what he'd just seen.

"Okay, is this some secret military thing?" He asked, lowering his voice conspiratorially and causing Jake to laugh and shake his head. "Like, covert trade secrets? Black book kinda sh-"

"Nah, nothin' quite so drastic as all that." The pilot huffed, rolling his eyes fondly. "Just a trick I picked up from a friend... Want me to show ya how?"

"Uh, yes please, Thor!" He replied eagerly, posing dramatically. "I could totally use this skill to strike fear into the hearts of my enemies!" He said, feigning an evil genius laugh.

"Calm down there, Boy Scout. It ain't a test of strength _at all_..." Jake snickered, shaking his head at Taylors obvious excitement, as he discarded his own apple. "But, here..." He said, grabbing another apple and leaning closer, as he placed it carefully between Taylors open palms. "Put it on this part of your palm here..." Jake said quietly, as Taylor bit his lip, glancing up at the sane time as the pilot before quickly looking back down at the apple. "And then, press your thumbs together here..."

"And I just twist?" Taylor asked, his eyes wide as he peeked up at Jake again, the pilot winking as he gestured to him to try. Taylor bit his lip, pressing hard before the apple gave suddenly, twisting in half as Jake's had. "Holy crap! I did it!" He said, beaming up at the pilot as he offered him the other half. Jake took a bite as he grinned, winking when Taylor took a bite of his own half. "So," he asked after he'd swallowed, raising a brow as he ran his eyes over Jake. "Got any other impressive skills I should know about?" 

"Nah," Jake snorted, glancing around the kitchen briefly as other people began to file in. "I'm basically a two trick pony." He admitted, shaking his head.

"Oh? What's your other trick then?" Taylor asked, grinning as Jake coughed and dropped his half of the apple.

 _"Ahem,_ uh... Nothin' specific, just, I mean..." He cleared his throat, shrugging his shoulder as he flashed a cocky grin and recovered from his brief surprise. "Nothin' that interestin'... I mean, I can't even whistle."

"Really? Well then, I guess its _my_ turn to play teacher..." Taylor hummed, grinning as he winked at Jake coyly.

"Good luck with that, Boy Scout." Jake snorted, running a hand through his hair. "Many have tried, none have succeeded. In fact, one time I-" he cut off abruptly as someone bumped into him from behind, pushing him against Taylor. He steadied himself against the counter, their bodies pressed tightly together.

Taylors heart raced as he looked up at Jake, the pilots eyes wide as he drew back until they were mere inches apart. _"Whoa!_ Sorry... Are ya alright?" Jake said, as Taylor gripped the counter behind him tightly, his gut swirling as blood rushed in his ears.

"Yeah, I..." He stammered, the world falling away around him, as he gazed up at Jake's too close, clear eyes. "I..." He mumbled, trailing off again as he felt the heat radiating from Jake's body against him, skimming across his skin. With his heart leaping into his throat, Taylor leaned forward, touching his lips to Jake's lightly. He paused, biting his lip nervously and staring up at the pilot as he felt him stiffen, before Jake's arms tightened around him, drawing him even closer. He felt Jake's heartbeat against his own chest, as the pilots hand found its way to his cheek.

"Taylor..." He murmured, before dipping lower to return his lips to Taylors, his stubble tickling faintly as their lips moved in tentative synchronicity. Taylors heart beat a rapid staccato, as Jake's lips caressed his own with a rough, demanding touch. Taylor shifted slightly, one hand curling into his jacket sleeve as hummed quietly and melted against the pilot.

 _"Woo!"_ Someone catcalled, knocking Taylor harshly from his enjoyable haze, as Jake's lips disappeared from his own suddenly, his eyes wide as he stared down at Taylor. "Get a room, fellas!"

Remembering where he was, Taylor lowered his gaze to the floor, biting his lip to contain his shy grin as heat burnt in his face. He peeked up from beneath his lashes to see Jake swallow heavily, finally stepping back as his cheek darkened beneath his stubble. "Uh, sorry..." He coughed, as Taylor quickly shook his head and made a sound of protest. "I didn't mean to-"

"No!" He said quickly, his face burning hotter as he looked up to see the beginnings of a cocky grin twitching at Jake's lips, his brow raising slowly.  "I mean, I _wanted_ you to..." He admitted in a quieter tone, toying absently with the cuff of his jacket.

A brief quiet passed between them, as Taylor peeked at Jake with a tentative grin. "Well, I should..." Jake finally coughed, hitching his thumb over his shoulder as he ducked his head to hide a grin.

"I'd better..." Taylor muttered at the same time, before laughing and gesturing for Jake to speak first.

"I, uh..." Jake said, swallowing as he chuckled and shook his head lightly. "I told my friends I'd come back about... an hour ago." He said, shifting his weight slightly at the confession.

"Oh... Yeah, right." Taylor said, blinking to try and clear his scattered thoughts. "Um, parties right? Heh... distracting..." He coughed, his cheeks still warm as he flashed Jake a smile and ran a hand through his hair.

"Right." Jake said distractedly, his cerulean eyes locked onto Taylors deep blue gaze and lingering briefly before he seems to physically shake himself from his thoughts. "I uh, I'll catch ya later?" He asked, clearing his throat and ducking his head slightly as he took a step back.

"Hmm." Taylor hummed, biting his lip to contain his giddy grin. "You bet." He said, his smile breaking free as Jake offered him another of his rough, two fingered salutes.

"Don't forget, if ya want a lift later..." He reminded him, winking as Taylor nodded briefly. With that said, Jake passed through the kitchen and walked out through the sliding door, leaving Taylor to hang onto the side of the counter and try to slow his wildly racing heart.

"Hmm..." He hummed, pinching his lips together briefly as he recalled the pressure of the pilots kiss. "Oh my god..!" He choked suddenly, his eyes widening in realisation. _I just kissed Jake... I just kissed Becca's brother... I just-_

"Taylor?" Quinn's voice startled him, and he yelped as he jumped away from counter, spinning around with his cheeks stained a deep red. "Are you okay?" She asked, her arms clasped behind her back and a curious smile curling her lips as she approached him.

"Me?" He said in a high pitched cough, clearing his throat and shaking his head as he flushed guiltily. "Yeah, totally. I'm pretty guy- pretty good!" He stammered, biting his lip as he looked down at his awkwardly shuffling feet. "I'm pretty... pretty good." He mumbled, glancing up to spot the punch bowl on a table nearby. He moved closer and grabbed himself a glass, dunking it quickly and downing a first glass without tasting it.

Quinn giggled, eyeing him suspiciously as she stepped closer. "Well, okay mister subtle." She huffed, shaking her head fondly as she looked around. "I was actually looking for Aleister, I've been all over downstairs but no luck... Have you seen him?"

"No. Aleister? No... no Aleister here." Taylor said, running a hand through his hair as he glanced around, as if making sure his friend truly wasn't nearby. He quickly filled another glass of punch, draining it in much the same distracted fashion, as Quinn raised a brow, her smile turning devious as she stepped closer. "Uh.... I'll, um... Oh! Why don't I help you look for him?" He offered quickly, placing his empty glass in the sink and turning away to hide his still burning cheeks. He hurried away from Quinn, her knowing giggles chasing him, as he moved into the living room. 

 _Oh god_... He thought, humming distractedly before pushing away his giddiness and focusing on finding his friend as a warm blanket seemed to settle in his gut, turning to trot up the stairs. He wandered down the hall, and happened across Aleister through a doorway which seemed to lead to Michelle's parents study. "Aleister?" He called curiously, laughing when the pale boy whirled around with a guilty expression, the book in his hands falling to the floor.

"Ah, Taylor, I..." He coughed, clearing his throat and attempting to appear casual, as he reached out a palm to lean against a bookshelf and catching only air. He folded his arms across his chest instead, his pale cheeks staining with pink.

 _"Smooth,_ Mr. Rourke..." Taylor snorted, laughing quietly as he looked around the room and slowly walked inside. "What are you doing in here?"

"I..." Aleister coughed, hesitating as his lips twitched guiltily. "I don't know. I should not be in here, but..." He sighed, gesturing to the shelves as though they were an answer on their own. "It's a rather charming office, is it not..? This is quite similar to what I would hope to attain for myself one day..."

"It is pretty cushy..." Taylor agreed, examining a few books by trailing his fingers over their spines. "You know what the best part is?" He asked, slowly walking along the rows of books. Aleister watched him intently, his brow raised curiously as Taylor moved around the desk and ran his hand over the cool leather of the armchair behind it. "Come on, take a seat!" He said, grinning brightly as he rolled the chair back for his friend and waved his brows suggestively.

"N-no... I couldn't." Aleister said stiffly, shaking his head firmly as he flushed and took a guilty step back. "A mans desk chair is his own private sanctum." He said, standing taller though he still eyed the chair longingly.

"Well, Taylor says; just sit in the damn chair!" He snorted, narrowing his eyes at Aleister warningly. "There's nobody around to tell you no. And besides..." He huffed, winking at Aleister coyly. "I know you want to." He drawled, walking over to Aleister and steering him toward the chair, pushing him down into it. _"See..?_ Now, is that really so bad?" He teased, as Aleister slowly ran his hands over the armrests, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"It is, as comfortable as I'd imagined..." He admitted, smiling at Taylor shyly as he reluctantly allowed himself to relax into the soft leather.

"Heh, I knew it." Taylor snickered, folding his arms over his chest and leaning his hip against the desk, as he grinned at Aleister. "This place has _you_ all over it." He said, a content sigh escaping him as the punch he'd consumed, created a pleasant hum in his gut and chest, which slowly began to spread through the rest of his body.

"What?" Aleister choked suddenly, his eyes widening as he looked up at Taylor in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Taylor said leadingly, leaning closer to whisper teasingly. "All the suave charm." He snickered, poking Aleister's forehead playfully. "You know, that whole gelled hair, twenty under twenty, private jet at thirty thing." He said lightly, looking up at the books along the back wall thoughtfully.

"I can honestly say, I do not know of this 'thing'." Aleister said quietly, shaking his head in amusement as he returned his attention to the leather chair.

"Basically, the rest of us are flailing around like fish outta water..." Taylor hummed, as he hopped up to sit on the edge of the desk. "And you're on a whole other 'student of the year' level." Aleister chuckled faintly, but his eyes continued to appear clouded by sadness. Taylor shuffled along the desk, moving closer to sit beside Aleister as he frowned down at him in concern.

"You of _all_ people should know that I am not so together as I appear..." Aleister said quietly, his eyes lingering on his long fingers as he toyed with the arms of the chair.

"Hmm. I guess so..." Taylor hummed lowly, nudging Aleister's hand with his knee gently. "But, you're still more together than the rest of us, ya know?"

Aleister sighed, leaning his head upon the back of the chair to gaze up at the ceiling. "Perhaps. But sometimes... I feel as if I'm merely hanging on by a fine thread."

"Well, you would, wouldn't you..?" Taylor snickered, cocking his head when Aleister raised a brow at him curiously. "I just mean, it makes sense. You know, what with the student council, keeping your grades and being on every committee..." He said, shaking his head as he nudged Aleister's hand again, able to feel the pleasant warmth from the other boys skin. "You do so much, Aleister, and you do it all by yourself... It's really incredible." He said earnestly, shaking his head in genuine awe as Aleister rolled his head towards him, his piercing gaze locked intently upon Taylor. "But... I want you to know that you can rely on me, if you want to."

A tense silence followed, the air around them buzzing with promise. Taylor smiled softly as Aleister sat forward slightly and locked eyes with him, leaving barely a breath of space between them.  Taylors eyes widened, his cheeks staining a deep shade of red as Aleister's thumb drifted across his knee slowly. "Taylor... May I-" the pale boy began, before falling silent with a quiet chuckle, lowering his gaze and shaking his head faintly. Taylor bit his lip, his pulse quickening as he felt his body move before his slightly stuffy head could think the action through.

Aleister raised his head in surprise as Taylor leaned forward, but he quickly recovered himself, his hand moving to curl around the back of Taylors neck; and pulling him in for a searing kiss. His lips were gentle but insistent, an unusual pairing which Taylor would hardly have expected from the usually severe boy. Taylors head had just begun to spin, when Aleister suddenly pulled away, leaving him startled, confused and breathless all in one. "I... apologise, Taylor, I hope, I did not overstep... I-I should not have-"

"Um... No, no, it's fine... I just-" Taylor stumbled over his words, trying to make sense of the searing kiss. "Just... surprised." He finally admitted, biting his lip as Aleister swept his thumb over the back of his neck, eliciting a shiver from him.

"Yes, well..." Aleister hummed quietly, his cheeks dusted pink as he began to slowly pull away. "I have grown quite adept at concealing personal-" the rest of the pale boys explanation was cut off, as Taylor kissed him again, this time ensuring it was Aleister who was left struggling to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry..." Taylor hummed playfully, as he sat back on the desk with a pleased grin, looking over Aleister's dazed expression. "Were you saying something?" He asked, snickering and biting his lip.

"I..." Aleister said, clearing his throat as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't recall..." He huffed, chuckling quietly as Taylors grin widened despite his captive lip. "Well... _ahem,_ suffice to say I... find myself pleased, that I attended tonight, after all."

"Is that your way of saying we should head back to the party?" Taylor asked, cocking his head curiously, as his gut bubbled pleasantly.

"I suppose that would be for the best," Aleister said, averting his piercing gaze as his pale complexion coloured with a rosy glow. "Although I must admit... I'm going to miss this chair." He sighed, gesturing towards the door as Taylor laughed and hopped down from the desk. He watched as Aleister cast the chair a final forlorn look, before following him through the door into the hallway.

They chatted easily as they moved down the hall, not quite ignoring their unexpected exchange, yet neither feeling awkward about it. Taylor was happily listening to Aleister explain the more intricate goings on of Rourke International, the company he would inherit upon reaching twenty one, when happened to peek onto Michelle's room as they passed; only to see a pair of legs sticking out from under the bed. Taylor frowned and bid farewell to his pale friend, before he moved into the blondes bedroom. "Uh, Michelle..?" He called uncertainly, as the bubbles in his gut still fizzing in his blood, a pleasant buzz through his system.

His brows rose in surprise, when Rebecca wriggled free from under the bed and popped up to her feet, dusting off her clothes. "Oh hey, Taylor, what're ya doin' up here?" She asked, tugging at her ponytail in a decidedly guilty fashion.

"Uh, what are _you_ doing up here?" Taylor countered, snickering as he nudged her shoulder playfully, waving his brows quickly. "Did you find anything good under there?" 

"Nah." Rebecca replied, shaking her head as she huffed in exasperation. "A couple of disgustingly fuzzy plates, but not what I was lookin' for." She said, folding her arms over her chest and pouting back toward the bed.

"Okay, first of all; _ew,_ and that's totally killing my buzz." Taylor said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Second of all; what _are_ you looking for?" He asked, his brow rising in intrigue, as Rebecca shrugged and walked around the bed, wrenching open an armoire.

"Someone in the kitchen suggested a game of Twister," she explained dismissively, as Taylor pouted at her. "Michelle said it'd be up here somewhere... Help me look?"

"Okay, this is way more boring than either what I was expecting or hoping for..." Taylor groused, moving over to Michelle's desk and beginning to hesitantly shift things around. "This is just... really weird." He complained, grimacing as he reluctantly poked around Michelle's drawer.

"It's fine, we got permission to be up here." Rebecca said, before humming thoughtfully and flashing him a cocky grin. "Or... I did." She said, sniggering as she moved over to the closet. She opened the doors and as she did,  the things on the top shelf began to wobble, and finally fell.

"Wow, that's like, the best ever 'pride cometh before a fall' that I have ever seen." Taylor laughed, as stuffed animals cascaded over Rebecca. After throwing him a brief reproachful glare, the fiery redhead couldn't help but join in his laughter.

"Well, thanks for the show of bravado." She snickered, shaking her head fondly as Taylor spread his palms and leaned against Michelle's desk.

"What can I say, this... very soft and plushy disaster was just, not my fate to prevent." He sighed wearily, before snorting in amusement and dissolving into giggles with Rebecca. "You know if there was a real emergency, like... A spider or a ticking bomb or something, I'd totally step up and protect you."

"I'm not sure I like how spider and bomb are apparently of equal threat to ya..." Rebecca scoffed, rolling her eyes. "But I'm pleased to know this little display weren't the extent of ya bravery..."

Taylor grinned at her and winked, walking over and stooping to collect a few of the stuffed animals. He was about to return them to the shelf, when he noticed just how well worn they were. "Wow... Look at all of these." He hummed, looking around the pile still at their feet.

"Tell me about it." Rebecca huffed, scowling at the stuffed animals as if they'd personally offended her. "She gave _me_ shit for the one stuffed penguin I keep on my bed."

"Hey, nobody picks on Pinguino P. Piddlefluff." Taylor said, pouting as Rebecca laughed and rolled her eyes at him.

"I told ya I was _not_ gonna call him that." She snorted, as they began to move more stuffed animals out of the way. "Though I never actually managed to think of anythin' cooler to call him..." She reluctantly admitted.

"That's because there is no cooler name." Taylor said, winking before he and Rebecca both laughed fondly. "Oh, hey look!" He said, as he shifted the remaining avalanche fallout, to reveal the box for Twister. He picked it up and offered it to Rebecca, his brows rising in surprise when he revealed a thick leather bound book beneath. "Hmm..." He hummed, as he picked it up and turned it over curiously.

"What's _that?"_ Rebecca demanded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stared over at the book in distrust and confusion.

"I think it's..." Taylor said slowly, flipping open the front cover. "Yeah." He said, nodding as he clapped it shut again. "It's Michelle's yearbook from middle school." Rebecca gasped and snatched it from his grasp, flipping it open quickly. "Hey, McGrabby!" Taylor protested, before giggling as he realised his cleverness for altering his friends surname.

Rebecca's eyes grew wide as she stared down at the book, and Taylor rolled his eyes at her obvious excitement, moving around behind her to peek over her shoulder. "Sorry, got excited..." She murmured distractedly.

"No shit." Taylor huffed, snickering when Rebecca made to swat at him, but missed entirely because she couldn't tear her eyes from the book.

"You gotta see this..." She choked, pointing to a picture of Michelle in eight grade, her hair in high pigtails and a smile full of braces.

"Wow... Michelle was actually like, cute and innocent." He huffed quietly, his gaze drawn to her caramel eyes, uncertain if he'd ever seen them so genuinely happy and free of malice. 

"I'm kinda disappointed that she looks the same as we all did in middle school..." Rebecca sighed, shaking her head at the picture forlornly.

"What?" Taylor snorted, nudging her shoulder playfully. "Did you expect a photo of a giant egg about to hatch or something?" He teased, as Rebecca laughed and flipped through some more pages. She shuffled back to sit on the bed, tugging Taylor close to plop Dow beside her, as she flipped to the back of the book. "Wow... check out all those signatures." He said, tracing his fingers down the signatures covering the autograph pages, where nearly every page was full.

"And they ain't even just 'have a good summers' either..." Rebecca murmured, shaking her head slightly in disbelief as she looked over the various scrawled messages, before closing the book suddenly and resting it on her lap. "Taylor... ya like me, right?"

"I like your brother _more,_ but- hey, _ow!"_ Taylor broke off to laugh, as Rebecca jabbed him hard in the arm, scowling at him in exasperation.

"Ya know damn well that ain't what I mean..." Rebecca complained, her lower lip jutting out slightly as Taylor raised a brow curiously. "I mean, like... Ya think I'm nice, or-"

"Becca, you're one of the best friends I have." Taylor said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and drawing her against his side, resting his cheek to the top of her head. "I love you to bits, little miss firefly... In a very platonic, you have no di-"

 _"Taylor!"_ Rebecca scolded as she slapped his leg, though he could feel her amusement. "My god ya the worst, most incorrigible guy I know..." 

 _And that's without knowing I kissed your brother... and Aleister_... Taylor thought, snickering to himself as he chafed her arm gently. _"Ahem..._ Uh, so...  why're you even asking, anyway?" He asked, as he tried to smother the giddy joy rising once more in his heart.

Rebecca sighed, tracing a finger around one of the smiling faces on the the yearbook cover. "People used to _like_ Michelle..." She said slowly, her voice a reluctant mumble which Taylor had to lean closer to hear her. "Like, genuinely and not out of fear, or to suck up to her, or whatever. And then she turned into... well, ya know."

"Boy, _do_ I." Taylor sighed, recalling the way Michelle had lashed out when Sean hadn't been able to give her an explanation for his increasing distance. The blonde couldn't understand the sudden seemingly indifference towards her and the world, the wall he created to hide his home life troubles, too high for her to climb. Taylor shook his head, understanding the blonde kept her pain close to her heart, but he certainly didn't condone it.

"Do ya..." Rebecca began hesitantly, drawing Taylor from his thoughts and to look down at her curiously. "Do ya think... that could happen to me?"

Taylor burst out laughing in response, his hand clapping over his mouth guiltily as the redhead glared up at him accusingly. "I'm sorry, I just... that would _never_ happen." He gasped, trying to reign in his tapering giggles.

"... Ya just sayin' that so I'll forgive ya..." Rebecca muttered petulantly, though Taylor noticed the twitching at the corner of her lips. 

He smiled, and hugged her close to his side again. "Nope." He said warmly, rocking them lightly on the edge of Michelle's bed. "I mean it. You could never end up like Michelle, even if you tried." He snorted, shaking his head fondly as she drew away from his shoulder to look up at him suspiciously. "You might be similar to Michelle in a couple ways, but you differ in one very big, _very_ important way..." He said, his smile growing as he swept a rogue strand of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. "You care about people. Like, other than yourself. Hell, sometimes you care about _them_ more than _yourself."_

Rebecca blinked, her eyelashes damp and her eyes shining. "Ya really, _really_ mean it?" She asked, chewing her lip uncertainly. 

Taylor smiled and batted his finer to the tip of her nose gently, laughing when she wrinkled it in response. "I really do." He said, squeezing her shoulders briefly.

"That... means a lot." Rebecca finally sighed, tugging at the ends of her ponytail shyly. "Especially, comin' from _you."_

 _"Pfft,_ of course it does." Taylor huffed, reaching up to lightly tug on her ponytail himself. "I'm awesome. Everything I say is automatically like, five times as reassuring as anyone else would be." He snickered, drawing Rebecca into another tight hug as she rolled her eyes, sniffling slightly as she wrapped her arms around him in return.

"I'm..." She began, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm _really_ happy we're hangin' our again, Taylor." She admitted, drawing back to smile at Taylor fondly.

"I know, your brother told me." Taylor teased, laughing when her smile dropped almost instantly into a scowl. "Heh, you should see your face. Priceless. But seriously, I know; and same here." He said, somewhat alleviating Rebecca's scowl, until she caught sight of his wicked grin. "I don't know how any of you got along without me, if we're being honest."

Rebecca laughed despite her best efforts not to, shaking her head in exasperation as she leaned against his shoulder again. "Ya such a cocky ass sometimes..." She muttered affectionately.

"Heh, not yet I'm not, but not for lack of trying I assure you." Taylor snorted, earning himself a firm swat to the shoulder, as Rebecca laughed and drew away to push to her feet.

"Way more information than I need, when ya eyeball my brother like ya favourite piece of candy whenever ya see him." She huffed, shaking her head as she pulled Taylor to his feet after her.

"Not _my_ fault your parents made gorgeous kids." Taylor said, snickering when Rebecca flushed and cocked her head, seeming torn between gratitude and disgust.

"I'm not sure if its worse picturin' ya with Jake, or my parents _actually_ together..." She said, grimacing as Taylor laughed and swing his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

"Just accept it, Becca... You're a family of good looking people, and one day; someone's gonna realise that you've got a heart of gold underneath it all to boot." Taylor said, smirking as Rebecca scoffed and freed herself from his arms.

"Urgh, ya such a sap..." She groused, though Taylor noticed she still looked remarkably cheered from his words. "C'mon, you hopeless romantic, let's get back to the party." She said, grabbing the box of Twister and waving it sarcastically, rattling the contents. "They're probably lookin' for this."

"Heh, I forgot all about that." Taylor snickered, smirking as Rebecca shook her head at him. "Think I'll sit this one out, to be honest. If someone wants to play Taboo, or Seven Minutes though; come find me."

 _"Hussy."_ Rebecca chuckled, bumping her fist to his shoulder playfully. "Suit yaself, though." She said, turning with a wave over her shoulder as she strolled away. Taylor smiled, following after her before pausing suddenly. He turned and glanced around Michelle's room briefly, before closing the door tightly behind him and continuing back downstairs.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he moved through the crowded living room to the kitchen, quickly grabbing himself another glass of punch, before heading outside to get some fresh air. He raised a brow, a smile curling his lips as he drank his punch and discarded his glass on a nearby table, making his way over to Sean; who was sitting on the edge of the pools diving board, dangling his bare feet in the water, while his shoes and phone sat on a deck chair nearby.

Taylor sauntered up beside him, suddenly leaning over and grabbing Sean's shoulders, leaning him forward slightly. "Saved your life." He said, as Sean began to laugh quietly, shaking his head as he looked to see Taylor grinning beside him. "Mind if I sit?" He said, gesturing to the spot on the diving board beside his friend.

"I'd mind if you _didn't."_ Sean huffed, grinning as Taylor snickered and stripped off his shoes and left them with the rest of his valuables beside Sean's. "Careful though, this things kinda slippery in places."

 _"Now_ he tells me." Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes as he carefully moved to sit beside Sean on the diving board. "So, Sean..." He began, only to fall silent when Sean took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Taylor, I'm sorry." He said, swallowing thickly and shaking his head, as he struggled with an obvious heavy weight on his shoulders. "You were right..."

"Uh, cool dude..." Taylor said awkwardly, trying to think back to what he'd done or said to warrant the apology. "Um... What exactly, was I right about..?" He finally asked, cocking his head curiously.

Sean huffed and shook his head again, looking back at the glittering water at their feet. "About a lotta things, honestly. But I mean... Craig, and Michelle. I should've handled everything better..."

"Sean..." Taylor said, sighing as he ran his free hand through his hair. "Look, I was... I admit I was pretty creeped the hell out earlier, but that doesn't mean that I actually blame you, even if I was being an ass..." He said awkwardly, biting his lip as Sean sighed tiredly.

"I just..." He said, raising his eyes to look around the party distantly. "I never really thought much past momma... She was all that mattered to me, and I... man, they were two really important people in my life, and I just couldn't tell them. What does that say about _me,_ Taylor?"

Taylor waited for a long pause, gazing down as he dragged his toes through the water below them. "I think it says that you were scared, and ashamed, and trying to carry a huge weight all on your own..." He said slowly, raising his eyes to Sean's. "And I don't mean just because you were being stubborn... I just mean that, you didn't want anyone to know what had happened to you and your mom. That's not you being an ass, and just cutting people out... Its you being a protective son. Perhaps a little over-protective, but even so, your heart was in the right place dude."

 _"Was_ it?" Sean asked, shaking his head as a darkness crept into his eyes. "I opened up to you guys... If I was so scared, why did I do that? Why would I-"

"I think we've always kind of had a silent understanding that our friendship was a little _different,_ dude..." Taylor interrupted quietly, glancing up at Sean from beneath his lashes. "I mean, even though we weren't really talking, we all came to help, right? Hell, maybe if I had actually spoken to you all sooner, Diego might not have-" he swallowed heavily, choking back the rest of his words before they could escape.

Silence passed between them for a moment, each lost to their own memories and attempting to reconcile their past choices and actions. "Look," Taylor finally sighed, squeezing Sean's hand before releasing it to run both hands up through his hair. "We can sit here, blaming ourselves for the last all we want, but nothings gonna change, unless we make it.  We can't go back, but we can go forward with a little more knowledge than we had before. Maybe... that will just have to be enough." He said, smiling softly as he looked up to the stars.

"Huh..." Sean hummed, remaining quietly for another brief pause, before finally nudging Taylor playfully. "When did you get so smart?" He asked, chuckling as Taylor feigned a scowl.

"Uh, excuse _you."_ He sneered, shoving Sean's shoulder. "I have always been amazing, smart and generally all things awesome." He scoffed, finally smiling again when Sean laughed. He shook his head and nudged Sean's shoulder in a more playful manner. "Anyway, before you went and ambushed me with all the serious; I was gonna ask just why it is you're sitting over here by yourself..."

"Just needed a little breather from the crowd." Sean said, glancing back to where the earlier crowd were still gathered around Tom. "It can get... kind of overwhelming in there." He added with a pointed cough.

"Wow, mister ego... I said I was _gonna_ ask, not that I was still intereste-" Taylor began, breaking off with a laugh as Sean's groaned and rolled his eyes toward him in exasperation. "Hmm, well I guess your adoring fans _have_ barely left you alone all night..." He said, snickering at Sean's amused snort. "I don't know how you manage."

"Honestly? Its kind of scary..." Sean huffed slowly, shaking his head as he glanced over at Taylor. "Having everyone look at me like that again... Which is stupid, right?" He chuckled, running a hand over his hair and down to scratch at the back of his neck. "All I wanted for the past year, was the chance to show everyone that I could make it in basketball as well as football. Now my dreams finally come true; and don't get me wrong, I'm _stoked._ It's just..."

Taylor watched Sean war with himself, seemingly uncertain how to best word how he felt. "You're worried that you'll lose it all, now that you've finally won it?" He suggested tentatively.

Sean sagged in obvious relief, turning to Taylor with a shy smile. "Yeah... is that crazy?" He asked curiously, worrying his lip briefly.

"Little bit dude." Taylor said, laughing when Sean heaved a long suffering sigh and rolled his eyes, nudging him playfully to show he was only teasing.

"I just..." Sean began, shaking his head as his shoulders slouched slightly. "I can't stop thinking, man... What if that game was just a fluke?" He said, his hands fiddling with a loose thread distractedly in his lap. "What if next time I get on the court, I totally _blow_ it?"

Taylor tried to keep his face straight, but by the time Sean raised his uncertain gaze to him, he was biting his lip hard to contain his smile and a giggle. "Dude, I'm sorry but 'blow it' just _aren't_ words you should say to me just now... I'm kind of one tracked tonight, dude." He finally snorted, choking back a laugh as Sean stared at him incredulously for a moment, before he began to laugh himself.

"Are you ever anything _but?"_ Sean finally asked, chuckling as Taylor shrugged dismissively, pretending not to have heard his friend.

"Okay, okay; seriously?" He said, clearing his throat and pushing away his amusement, the buzz in his blood still bubbling pleasantly beneath his skin. "I don't think that game was a fluke, dude. I mean, you were a total _beast_ out there!" He said, looking over at Sean as he hunched his shoulders and leaned forward to grip the edge of the diving board, smiling softly. "Was pretty, undeniably awesome.."

Sean let out a long sigh, kicking the surface of the water gently. "Yeah..." He finally said, a quiet huff escaping him as he looked up across the other side of the pool. "You're probably right." He said, laughing when Taylor made a pointed show of clearing his throat. "Sorry, you're _totally_ right, Taylor! Heh... guess I just need to get it outta my head." He sighed, sitting straighter as he beamed a fond smile at Taylor. "Lucky for _me,_ there's a party going on, and I'm hanging with one of the coolest people I know."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, mister Gayle." Taylor laughed, winking quickly as Sean blushed and laughed himself. "I didn't say stop..." He said, pouting at his amused friend.

"Taylor..." Sean sighed, shaking his head fondly as Taylor rolled his eyes and huffed playfully. "Did you wanna find a game or something?"

"I am not playing Twister, I am gonna just go ahead and say that right now." Taylor snorted, kicking at the pool water playfully splashing his friend slightly. "I am _so_ not gonna embarrass myself going up against Becca and Michelle."

"Why not? You usually embarrass yourself _way_ easier than that..." Sean teased, laughing as Taylor feigned an outraged gasp.

"How _dare_ you, mister Gayle! I take back everything I said about flattery getting _you_ anywhere." He snorted, glaring at Sean reproachfully as the sports star began to get to his feet. His eyes widened, as Sean slipped suddenly on the wet surface of the diving board.

 _"Whoa!"_ Sean cried, before toppling into the pool. Taylor stared for a moment, and when his friend reemerged a second later by the pool ladder; soaked through and spluttering, he did the only thing he could do. He laughed.

"Oh my _god!_ That serves you right!" He choked, giggling wildly as Sean shook the water from his eyes and panted for breath. " _All ye who insult Taylor beware, for righteous karma awaits ye_!" He teased, splashing Sean with his foot for good measure.

"Oh, I see..." Sean huffed, a small smile curling his lips. "You think this is _funny?"_ He asked, treading water nearby as Taylor continued to snigger gleefully.

"Well yeah," he chuckled, drawing in a deep breath to try and control himself, but only breaking out in more giggles. "I mean, oh my god... You should have seen your-" Taylor gasped as Sean suddenly launched himself off the ladder, grabbing him around the waist. 

 _"Aaaah!"_ He choked, as they both hit the water with an enormous splash. The pleasant buzz in his gut increased, adrenaline suddenly rushing through his veins as he quickly pushed to the surface. Laughing, Sean grabbed his arm and pulled Taylor to the shallow end with him. "You ass! Oh my god, you've _ruined_ my hair! Godammit, you would be _so_ dead right now if I'd still had my jacket on or my phone on me!" Taylor complained, running his hands up over his hair and smoothing it back from his eyes.

"Hey, its your own fault for laughing at me." Sean sniggered, clapping Taylor on the shoulder fondly, before smoothing back a section of hair which Taylor had missed and was sticking out rebelliously. "I was just levelling the playing field."

"That was _righteous karma_!" Taylor protested, narrowing his eyes when Sean scoffed and shook his head, looking away briefly to check on their things. Taylor pouted at being ignored, his knees bending slightly in preparation before he thought the action through. _"Yaaaah!"_ He growled, launching himself forward and slamming into Sean, knocking him off his feet.

 _"Oof!"_ Sean gasped, before they both fell under the water, where he easily managed to break free of Taylors grasp. They surfaced moments later, only to begin wrestling in the shallow end until they were out of breath, their laughter interrupted only by splashes. "Okay, okay! I give up!" Sean finally laughed, raising his hands in placation.

 _"Woo!"_ Taylor cried, raising his own hands as victorious fists in the air. "The Awe-inspiring Taylor, has defeated the mighty Seam Gayle!" He cheered, snickering as he lowered his arms and waved his brows. "Do I win a prize?" He asked, yelping as he slipped suddenly, though Sean's steady hands on his shoulders saved him from disappearing beneath the water again.

"Heh, yeah okay. Easy there, Aquaman..." Sean scoffed, shaking his head at Taylor in amusement, as he gripped the sports stars strong arms tightly. "What exactly are we talking here, oh 'awe-inspiring' Taylor?" He asked curiously.

"What, I gotta pick my own damn prize too now?" Taylor balked, shaking his head despondently. "Man, I don't know how people cope being winners all the time, must be exhaust-" he fell silent abruptly as Sean's hands glided down Taylors arms to catch his waist, looking up in surprise to see the sports star grinning at him shyly. Taylors eyes widened, noting briefly the tiny droplets of water which clung to Sean's eyelashes, glittering in the light.

"I got a prize for you..." He murmured, as he gently pulled Taylor closer against him and leaned forward. Taylor was surprised to find that Sean's lips were warm, despite the cold water.

 _I go eighteen years without even kissing someone, then kiss three people in one night..._ Taylor thought absently, a faint hum of surprise escaping him as he and Sean separated. "Um... The awe-inspiring Taylor _accepts_ this prize..." He coughed awkwardly, feeling his cheeks burn hot, the contrast noticeable from his cooling skin.

"Good to know." Sean chuckled, stepping back and rubbing his neck with a slightly guilty smile. "So, uh... What do you say we go borrow Michelle's laundry room for a bit, maybe find a couple of cozy blankets to warm up in for awhile..?" He asked, as Taylor raised a suspicious brow.

"Sean Gayle, are you trying to get me out of my clothes?" He asked, laughing when Sean's eyes widened and he noticeably blushed. "Guess not." He snorted, tipping his chin toward the ladder. "Come on, lets get outta here before we freeze." He said, moving with Sean toward the ladder and quickly climbing from the pool, water splashing across the side as they stepped back onto solid land and moved to collect their shoes and valuables, before hurrying inside to find the laundry room.

Michelle gave them directions, laughing at them both and their soaked clothes, before tossing them thick, fluffy towels to dry off with. Taylor snickered as they found the dryer, stripping down to their underwear and drying off quickly with the towels, before wrapping them around their waists. _"Wait!"_ He yelped to Sean, wiggling out of his underwear beneath his towel and laughing at Sean's scandalized blush, as the sports star glanced around nervously. He tossed his underwear into the dryer, raising a brow at Sean, who shook his head vehemently, but laughed at Taylors fearlessness, as he closed the dryer and turned it on. 

"Man, you're really..." Sean huffed, chuckling quietly as Taylor sat himself down on top of the dryer, his dignity maintained only by the towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Don't even try, dude... You'll just get a headache." Taylor warned, grinning at Sean's confused expression. "Figuring me out. Trust me, I've barely got a handle on myself, _you_ stand no chance." He snickered, as Sean frowned slightly.

"I was just gonna say... I think you're a pretty amazing guy, Taylor." Sean said, moving to lean against the dryer just beside Taylor, who turned his eyes down to the floor, his humour noticeably withdrawn. "I dunno why but, I get the feeling you're carrying something big... Maybe, its 'cause I did the same thing..." He said thoughtfully, trying and failing to catch Taylors eyes, as he stubbornly locked them onto the floor. "But, despite that you're there for all of us. And, I guess I just wanted too to know, we're here for you too, man."

Taylor bit his lip, his heart lurching as he considered finally admitting to his parents absconding; to the gnawing, suffocating loneliness which he lived with on a daily basis. He dithered in uncertainty for a moment, attempting to pull down the high walls he'd built around his heart and life.

However his heart lurched for an altogether different reason, as Sean continued. "I mean look at us all..." He began, his tone filled with wonder and disbelief as he looked towards the door to the main house, where the party continued. "Ten years, we didn't speak save for a few random interactions when things got real bad, and to even be there for each other like that; even briefly, dude... It says a lot that we can all just pick up like nothing changed between us all."

 _But it did._ Taylor thought, a shiver rippling down his spine, eating away the pleasant buzz he'd felt, and leaving behind only the familiar hollow sense of guilt in his gut. _It all changed, because we were one down... And all because I insited we trust the monster_. He swallowed thickly, shaking his head as he forced a small smile to his face. "Heh, man some of us changed pretty noticeably dude. I mean, you did _not_ have those pecks at eight, and Zahra? Man, I would _not_ have pictured her with that Mohawk. I always expected her to go with dreads..." He said lightly, finally turning to Sean as his grin fit his face more naturally. "I-"

"Hey, have you guys- oh my _god,_ Taylor!" Quinn gasped, walking in and quickly shutting the door behind her.

"What? What'd I do now..?" He asked, frowning as Quinn blushed and averted her eyes. "Whatever happened, it wasn't me! I've been right here with Se-"

 _"No,_ its..." Quinn coughed, clearing her throat as she glanced at him, before looking over at Sean in exasperation, as if he were to blame for whatever Taylor had done. 

"I didn't do anything either," he quickly defended, raising his palms in placation as Quinn rolled her eyes and pointed to the back of the dryer.

 _"Taylors flashing everyone through that door_!" She hissed, flushing brightly as Taylor looked down at himself to see his towel still folded over his lap. He twisted to look back at himself, and laughed as he realised his towel had slipped from the dryers motion.

"Ha! Whaddaya know?" He snickered, looking back at Quinn and winking coyly. "Was it a good show at least? Wait, I already know the answer... Its _my_ ass, after all." He said, looking up at Sean with a conspiratorial grin as the sports star snorted. "I have a _great_ ass." He said, causing Sean to laugh loudly.

"Taylor..." Quinn sighed, rubbing her hand over her brow, as Taylor rolled his eyes and hopped down from the dryer, the machine informing then it's job was complete. "Bad enough Zahra has gone missing, turns out _you've_ been flashing everyone..." The redhead continued to nutter, as Taylor opened the dryer and tossed Sean his things, before grabbing his own.

"Uh, little privacy please miss?" He sneered, laughing when Quinn cocked a brow and folded her arms over her chest, clearly having no intention to turn around. "Well, clearly I've given you too much power, letting you watch last time." He sniffed, turning around himself to quickly begin pulling on his underwear beneath the towel. As soon as his underwear was on, he tossed the towel aside entirely, quickly throwing his clothes back on, before turning with a flourish. "Ignore the hair... How do I look?" He asked, grinning when Quinn laughed despite herself.

"You're such an idiot, Taylor." She giggled, as he walked over and drew her into a hug, swaying them across the floor briefly.

"I am apparently a kiss-o-gram tonight too..." He scoffed, sniggering at her examining glance and suspiciously raised brow. "It's been an _interesting_ night. Now... You're looking for Zahra?" He asked, quickly diverting the subject before Quinn could actually ask for details about his night. "Does Michelle have anywhere that's creepy, dark and likely deserted?" He asked, as Quinn frowned thoughtfully.

"I guess..." She said, cocking her head as she mentally searched the blondes house for somewhere she may have overlooked. "There's the attic..?" She said uncertainly, as Taylor laughed.

"I'm on it." He said, kissing Quinn's temple quickly, before grabbing his jacket and slipping it on, winking at the still dressing Sean as he walked over to the door and threw it open. " _Semi naked Sean Gayle in the laundry room_!" He called loudly, glancing back to laugh at Sean's scandalized expression, before moving out of the way of the crowd surging towards him. He hummed to himself, as he skipped back upstairs and looked around until he found the ladder which led upwards.

Trapdoor hinges creaked softly as he climbed up into the attic, pausing at the top of the stairs to squint into the dim room. "Yo, Snape?" He called, slowly moving further into the attic as he heard a faint rustling. "Just warning you, if you're thinking of scaring me, righteous karma is on my side tonight! It already got Sean!" He warned, laughing quietly to himself as he slowly walked further into the attic, glancing at the long abandoned things stored in the open space.

Movement caught his eyes, and he headed toward a secluded section, separated by a wall of boxes. He peeked around them, and choked loudly at the sight beyond. _"Zahra?!"_ He cried, startling the girl and causing her to curse. _"Aleister?!"_ He coughed, his eyes wide as he watched the two separate and begin to rapidly readjust their clothing. "Well _damn,_ now I'm just feeling left out!" He laughed, as Aleister flushed knowingly.

 _"Ahem,_ I-" the pale boy began, his cheeks stained a deep red as he re-buckled his belt.

"Oh no, please don't even try. I do _not_ wanna know." Taylor snorted, holding out a palm as if to physically hold back Aleister's explanation. "What happens at the party, stays at the party, right?" He snickered, as Aleister's stiff posture eased somewhat in relief.

"Indeed." Aleister coughed, glancing at Zahra as she pointedly glared at the wall adjacent to them, ignoring them both. "Well, I, uh... think I'll go and find the refreshments..." He said awkwardly, marching toward the trapdoor.

"You _do_ that, mister Rourke." Taylor agreed, barely containing a laugh as the pale boy pulled up the trapdoor and hastily disappeared down the ladder. _"Sooo..."_ Taylor drawled, turning back to Zahra slowly, a wide and devilish smirk on his face.

"You breath a word of this to _anyone,_ Taylor, and I swear; I will _end_ you." Zahra threatened darkly, scowling at Taylor with her cheeks burning a fiery red. "You saw nothing, because there was nothing to see. We are _never_ going to mention this ever again."

"What, like I was never gonna call you Snape again?" Taylor teased, as Zahra narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"No, as in if you ever even think about this... thing that never happened again, then I'm gonna curse you with the worlds biggest buck teeth you ever saw." Zahra promised, her crimson eyes eerie in the gloomy lighting.

"Oh please, you would not. You love me too much." Taylor scoffed, though he paused to consider the statement when Zahra merely raised a brow at him. _"Ahem..._ Okay. _Awkward."_ He said, coughing as he looked around the attic. "He's a good kisser though, huh?" He asked, suddenly looking back at his still fuming friend.

 _"Taylor."_ She said warningly, her glare intensifying as she grit her teeth and folded her arms over her chest,the movement drawing Taylors gaze.

"Okay, okay, but can I just say _one_ thing?" He pleaded, his eyes wide as he pouted at his furious friend. At Zahra's heavy sigh and reluctant nod, Taylor pointed towards her, his nose wrinkling slightly. "Your tops on backwards." He said quickly, wincing as if expecting her to hit him. He blinked in surprise, when no blow was forthcoming, looking over to see Zahra scowling at the wall again. He coughed and took the hint, stepping back around the boxes and clearing his throat as he strolled a few steps away. He whistled to himself quietly, as he rocked on the balls of his feet and waited for his friend to redress herself.

After several long seconds of standing alone in the darkness, Taylor sighed. "Zahra, are you ready? I'm kinda... bored, to be honest. I might head back down, if you're uh, _indisposed..."_ He said, coughing awkwardly. A second of silence passed, then two. However, Taylor then heard a low, spooky voice call from the shadows. _Wow, she wasn't kidding about that whole, pretend this never happened thing_... He thought, snorting and shaking his head fondly.

" _Nooo Zahra heeere_..." The eerie voice called, as Taylor grinned and tried not to laugh. " _Only ghoooosts..."_

"Oh, okay then, nevermind..." Taylor called cheerily, his amusement colouring his tone. "If you ghosts see Zahra anywhere, just let her know that Taylor got bored of waiting for her hussy ass, and-" he broke off with a laugh, as Zahra stepped out from behind a dusty mannequin, her hands in her pockets as she scowled at Taylor.

 _"Not. Mentioning. It._ " She said firmly, her scowl lasting a full three seconds longer before she sighed and rolled her eyes, Taylors laughter too lighthearted for her to stay angry with him. "Get over here, you dork." She muttered, shifting away from the mannequin to move through the attic.

" _I'm_ the dork?" Taylor snorted, trotting to catch up to Zahra as she walked deeper into the darkness and shadows. "You're the one hiding in the dark, making ghost noises and necking with-" he cut himself off carefully, coughing to cover his slip. He glanced around, strolling slowly after his friend. "Wow... This attic is _totally_ you." He huffed, snickering as he glimpsed the throng of spider webs in one of the corners. "Figures you'd leave the party to find the spookiest room in the house... Or just, you know, the most secluded. Sorry, by the way for uh, interrup-"

"Urgh, _Taylor!_ This does _not_ sound like never mentioning it again!" Zahra fumed, turning with a furious scowl. "I swear, one more time, Taylor and I'm scrambling your brains like eggs!" She threatened, as Taylor raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay, _okay!_ Jeez, it was just a little slip of the tongue!" He protested, biting his lip to try and hide his grin and contain his laughter.

"Yeah, I hear you've had a few of those tonight..." Zahra drawled, successfully wiping away Taylors amused smirk, as he stumbled into a box from his shock.

"I wouldn't say, I mean..." He said awkwardly, coughing as he felt his cheeks blaze guiltily. "Um, so... Snape... How bout those, uh... super creepy spider webs and  ultra spooky, um, things..?" He said, quickly deciding the attic itself was immensely more interesting than whatever he'd interrupted.

Zahra glared at him a moment longer, before snorting and rolling her eyes. "Wimp." She scoffed, turning around again and weaving through some more boxes. "You think _this_ is spooky? You should see the master bath." She said, an ominous chuckle escaping her as Taylor grimaced, immediately sensing he did not want to see the master bath. "I kid you not, there's a taxidermy Pomeranian in there." She said, finally stopping to sweep some dust off an old foot locker, and sitting down on it.

Taylor took a seat beside her tentatively, shaking his head at his friends odd sense of humour and taste. "Hey, Zahra... There's uh, something I've been wondering." He said, after a moments confortable silence had passed.

"Taylor-" she warned, turning towards him as her scowl returned, her crimson eyes flashing with irritation.

"No, no, no! Not that... Not that _thing_ that I totally didn't see, 'cause it never happened, I mean." He defended quickly, showing her his palms briefly to fend off her temper. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but tipped her chin for him to continue. "It's actually about your powers... I just, I wondered what it felt like." He explained, as Zahra looked away, a thoughtful expression flashing across her face briefly.

"You know when you get really, _really_ angry, and you feel like there's this pressure building up inside you?" She asked pointedly, cocking a heavily pierced brow at him, as he smiled innocently and quickly shook his head. "The first time, it was like that. I felt like I had to release the pressure or I was just gonna blow..." She said, rolling her eyes at Taylors feigned innocence. "Now, it just feels like... electricity or something. Like, buzzing under my skin, that wants to reach out and..." She paused, looking around briefly with a frown, before she pointed to a stack of books. The top book lifted up, then flipped over and dropped back into place.

 _"Daaamn..._ You're getting good at that." Taylor said, clicking his tongue as he sighed wistfully. "What I wouldn't give to be able to just-"

"I _so_ do not wanna hear whatever you're about to say." Zahra said knowingly, as Taylor snickered and jostled her lightly. "But to be honest, you're kinda easy to impress, you know?" She added, rolling her eyes at him again as she shoved hon sideways, smirking when he almost fell off the footlocker. "Should've been there when I broke a pencil in half this morning."

"That _does_ sound pretty awesome..." Taylor snorted disbelievingly, chuckling at Zahra's obvious prickling at his lack of awe. "I'd be _more_ impressed if you could make that mannequin dance, though." He said, raising a brow in challenge.

Zahra sniffed disdainfully, throwing him a brief glare before looking over at the mannequin. "Easy." She sneered, leaning forward as her brow creased in concentration. 

Taylor grinned as the mannequin suddenly lurched into the air, its base thumping against the floor as it tipped from side to side, spinning in jerky circles. "I guess one _could_ call that dancing." He laughed, as he watched the mannequin twirl ungracefully.

 _"Pfft,_ like _you_ could do better if you had no ass to shake." Zahra snorted, as Taylor winked and patted his ass in agreement.

"Seriously though, Snape... It's amazing how much control you have over them now." He said, shaking his head slowly. "I mean, considering the first thing you did was _abuse my face."_

"Oh, shut up already, it was barely noticeable." Zahra scoffed, sighing in exasperation. "But... thanks. I'm starting to feel like they're really mine, you know?" She said, her brow creasing slightly as she glanced sideways at him. "That stuff Quinn said, about Mr. Red using the powers to control me..?" She said quietly, her face twisting with confliction briefly. "Don't tell anyone, but, it kinda freaked me out."

"Dude," Taylor said, shaking his head as he reached over and patted Zahra's knee gently. "That was kinda obvious." He said, chuckling when Zahra grimaced at the confession.

"Well... I'm glad you're not freaked out, anyway. Back at the hospital..." She said, pausing as her cheeks darkened, her brow knitting into a petulant scowl. "I... was slightly concerned... that you know, I might... hurt you." She admitted reluctantly, immediately turning away to hide her face.

"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me..." Taylor huffed, snickering at Zahra's obvious discomfort over admitting to having feelings. "But you needn't have been worried, 'cause I sure wasn't. I trust you, Zahra."

"Horrible decision, really. Terrible." She scoffed, shaking her head as she finally looked back at him, a glint of dark amusement in her crimson gaze. _"Really,_ bad judgement."

"Oh, hush... You don't fool me." He sniggered, nudging her shoulder playfully as a genuine, fond smile spread across his face. "I'm really glad we're talking again, Snape."

Zahra rolled her eyes, hesving a weary sigh as the mannequin finally stopped dancing. "Yeah, I guess it's kinda cool to be able to rip on you again, loser..." She admitted, laughing quietly when Taylor snickered and got to his feet, pulling her up beside him.

"Come on Ghoulie Girl," he said, throwing his arm around her shoulder and pressing out snacking kiss to her cheek, before leading her towards the trapdoor. "Lets go do some heavy drinking and show these wimps how its done." 

"Okay, first off; if you _ever_ call me that again, I'm gonna do to you what I just did to that mannequin." Zahra warned, scowling as Taylor released her and opened the trapdoor. "Second, I am gonna drink you under the table." She scoffed, smirking as he gestured for her to lead the way.

"It's _on,_ Snape." He leered, smirking as he followed her down the ladder. "... So, you want me to sit Aleister at that table?" He asked innocently, laughing when Zahra scowled up at him, but ended up laughing despite herself when he waved his eyebrows suggestively and winked. 

The remainder of the party passed in a blur, Taylor drinking and joking with his friends, laughing as he allowed himself to let go of his concerns and just enjoy the pleasure of their company. By the time the party was almost over, his pleasant buzz had returned with interest, and he was stumbling slightly. Rebecca had wisely remained sober, offering the others rides home but worrying about Taylors ability to walk. "I will be perfectly fine, I live the closest; so it makes sense. Besides, the night... or, morning air will sober me up, and I will be... _fine."_ He had assured her, though she had merely frowned in response.

By the time he had collected his things and said his goodbyes, a familiar car had pulled up beside them, and Rebecca quickly steered him to the passenger seat. "Thanks Jake, I just... didn't want this idiot walkin'." 

"No worries," Jake replied, bumping his fist to her shoulder affectionately as she came to his window. "Get ya friends home safe, yeah? I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Sure thing." She said, flocking his forehead fondly, quickly darting away before he could return the gesture.

"Brat..." He murmured, shaking his head before turning to Taylor with obvious amusement. "So, thought ya were gonna walk huh, Boy Scout?" He asked, snickering at Taylors drunken grin.

"Can't say I'm really too upset she tricked me, if this is the end result." He admitted, trying to wink at the pilot but only blinking instead, as Jake snorted and reversed, before setting off to drive him home.

"Good night, then?" Jake asked, glancing at Taylor as he leaned back in his seat and hummed thoughtfully.

"Surprising." He giggled, rolling his head across the back of his seat as he thought back over his evening,and the time he'd spent with his friends. "I went eighteen years without anyone wanting to kiss me, and then three people do it all in one night..." He snickered, unknowingly repeating his thoughts from earlier in the evening.

 _"Really_ now?" Jake huffed, grinning over at him in amusement. "Ya gotta favourite outta those three?" He asked, raising a brow as Taylor grinned secretively, when he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Well apparently your first is the one you always treasure most, right?" He snickered, looking over at Jake slyly to see him casting him regular glances. "I guess I can say that's true to _me,_ at least." He said, smiling fondly.

"And uh, which one _was_ ya first, exactly?" Jake asked, as he pulled up outside Taylors house, shutting off the engine and turning toward him with a curious, lopsided grin.

"That'd be telling..." Taylor giggled, trying and failing to wink again, much to both his and Jake's amusement. He looked down at Jake unbuckled his seat belt, but seemed to hesitate before getting out of his car. 

"What about... who was last?" He asked, his clear eyes watching Taylor as he slowly leaned forward from his seat, a playful grin toying on his lips.

"Well, that would depend on if one of them would be about to kiss me a second time..." Taylor hummed, lowering his gaze briefly, as his heart rate increased.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed quietly, startling Taylor slightly when his finger curled beneath his chin, encouraging him to look up as he slowly leaned closer. "And... which one, would be about to do that..?" He asked lowly, as Taylor felt his heart crash against his chest.

"... My f-" he began, only to choke off suddenly, his eyes widening as something caught his attention through the windscreen suddenly. "Oh my-" he choked, gasping as he pushed Jake away and clawed at his door, throwing himself out the car and stumbling toward the long walkway to his house. _"No!"_ He cried, launching himself into the air to knock into a large body, forcing it out of a dark cloud of shadowy tendrils and preventing it from impaling itself on a broken branch.

 _"Taylor!"_ Jake called, racing over from the car to find him laying beside an unconscious body. He quickly checked the vitals, noting they were at least alive and breathing, before checking on Taylor. "Are ya alright? What the hell is _he_ doin' here?!" He asked, as Taylor groaned and allowed Jake to help him to his feet.

"Call an ambulance..." He muttered, though Jake's phone was already in his hand. "I... Oh god, Craig... What the hell _are_ you doing here?" He mumbled, panting briefly before his gaze slowly rose towards the woods. He shivered as something tickled at the back of his mind, not anything specific; only a feeling.

"Taylor, look at me..." Jake said, and Taylor turned towards him dazedly. "Go get ya parents, they'll help ya-"

"I can't." Taylor said, blinking as Jake cocked his head and frowned at him in confusion.

"Whaddaya mean ya can't?" Jake scoffed, shaking his head in frustration. "Look, they'll get over ya bein' half cut, but this is import-" 

"No, I mean I _can't."_ Taylor said, shaking his head, only to raise a hand to his brow when he immediately felt overcome by dizziness. "They're not there." He groaned, steadying himself against the tree.

 _"What?!"_ Jake choked, his eyes widening briefly before they narrowed at Taylor, his expression morphing into a suspicious scowl. "Then where the hell _are_ they?"

 _"I don't know!_ " Taylor yelled, glaring up at Jake in frustration. " _I don't know, okay?! I don't know where they are! I don't know what they're doing! I don't know how to get in touch with them_!" He vented, his heart racing as he finally confessed to someone, as Jake stared at him in stunned silence. He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he looked away from Jake. "Not that it'd make a difference if I did, anyway."

"... Whaddaya mean?" Jake asked, as Taylor shook his head and swallowed thickly, the words lodged in his throat. "Boy Scout," he said, causing Taylor to turn as he realised the pilot was much closer than before. "Whaddaya mean, it don't make a difference..?"

Taylor looked up at Jake, his cerulean eyes seeming to bore straight into Taylors mind, unlocking the doors behind which be held his darkest secrets. "Because..." He choked, his lower lip quivering briefly as he shook his head, trying to hold back the confession.

"'Cause _what,_ Boy Scout..?" Jake pressed, sensing Taylors need to vent the words choking him. "C'mon... Ya can trust me." He assured quietly, his knuckles grazing Taylors cheek gently.

"Because-" Taylor choked, his deep blue eyes welling with tears, as the sound of distant sirens cut into the early morning air around them. "Even if you got hold of them... they wouldn't come back." He whispered, gasping as he raised a hand and gripped at the pilots jacket, his fingers curling tightly to the material. "Not even if  _that_ was me." He choked brokenly, gesturing to Craig's prone form on the ground. Taylor stared up at Jake, words failing him as the pilot gazed back at him, seeming lost for how to process the information and comfort him.

"... Taylor-" he murmured finally, swallowing thickly and knocking his forehead to Taylors, his arm circling his waist and drawing him close. "It's okay... I got ya." He said quietly, as Taylor began to cough and choke, desperately trying to contain his usually well guarded grief. "I got ya, Boy Scout." Jake murmured, drawing him closer to let him hide his face, and pretend his carefully constructed walls weren't falling all around him. The pilot raised his head and watched with a small frown as the distant flash of lights approached them, his arms curling protectively around Taylor, as he finally lost himself to his grief and buried his face into Jake's shoulder. 


	11. Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helllloooooo
> 
> Sorry this took so long. That illness thing? Totally sapped everything, my desire to write included. Now im just barely doing any... i hate it but, there ya go.
> 
> Anyway enough about me and my loser crown!  
> Thankyou all gor ypur awesome comments! Youre all wonderful and i love you all ♡
> 
> I hipe you enkoy this chaprer; the halfway mark!
> 
> x My love to you all x

**11.**

**Breakdown**.

Taylor stared vacantly through the windscreen, lost in thought as the car pulled up to drop him off in front of the school. Why? The single word thought had been chasing itself around his mind, ever since Craig's almost untimely demise. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find himself a suitable answer.

"Hey," a voice startled him from his thoughts, and he drew in a deep breath as he blinked, trying to clear away the troublesome thought which plagued him. "Ya gonna be okay, Boy Scout? Ya know ya could probably skip out today, if ya wanna... I'm sure everyone'd understa-"

"I'm probably better off at school to be honest..." Taylor admitted quietly, glancing over with a tiny, grateful smile. "But thanks, for everything, I mean... You didn't have to stay, or anything but, I really appreciate it..."

"Nah, it's fine. Wasn't gonna leave ya to handle that shitstorm alone... Bastards would've eaten ya alive." Jake huffed, his clear eyes still concerned as Taylor turned to look up at the school apprehensively. "Ya sure ya alright..? I can take ya back home-"

"Jake..." Taylor huffed fondly, appreciative of the pilots continued attempts to help him. "I have to go sometime, might as well get it over with, to be honest. Besides," he said, smiling tiredly as he turned back to the pilot. "You must be bored stiff after being shut up at mine all of yesterday... I really appreciate it, but you-"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it." Jake said dismissively, shaking his head as he reached over and lightly bumped his fist to Taylors shoulder. "Besides, I can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday." He added lightly, winking as a crooked grin touched his lips briefly when Taylor smiled a little more naturally. _"Ahem,_ I uh..." He coughed, glancing at his hands where they were draped over the steering wheel. "I didn't wanna push ya, while ya were dealin' with the cops all day... but-" Jake trailed off, seeming hesitant to continue.

Taylor sighed, well aware of what the pilot wanted to know. He leaned his head back against the headrest, looking over at the pilot wearily. "You wanna know about my parents." He said knowingly, a half hearted smile gracing his lips as Jake glanced at him guiltily. "I uh, I guess I kinda owe you an explanation, given all the trouble you saved me..." He said, biting his lip hesitantly, as he lowered his gaze to his lap. "They first took off about... five years ago. Just, a brief flit, a holiday. I wasn't to tell anyone, but I think my neighbour guessed... She kept an eye out for me anyway." He said, his throat constricting at the confession, but his chest strangely light for finally voicing his history. "They were only a week, but... after that one of them was almost always gone, and things were always... _strained,_ with whoever stayed behind. They had a few brief weeks away together again, here and there... But nothing major, you know?"

"Damn..." Jake muttered, his brow knitting into a frown as he watched Taylor toy with his bag strap. 

"Heh, that was just trial runs I think." Taylor huffed, shaking his head lightly as he recalled the increasingly aloof and detached manner of his parents over the years. "One morning I woke up and they both had their bags packed... When I got home from school that day, there was a note on the table. My aunt had died and they were going to handle her estate, which she'd left in a mess." Taylor glanced up at Jake with a crooked grin which didn't meet his eyes. "That was two years ago, well, a little over now..." He sighed, closing his eyes as he was flooded by a strange confliction of pain and relief. "It was heavily suggested in the note that I not mention their absence, but that I would be given a decent allowance to take care of myself. And... that's pretty much it, to be honest."

"But, _why?"_ Jake asked, his eyes hard as Taylor glanced up at him, anger swirling within his cerulean gaze. "What the _hell_ has kept 'em so busy for two goddamn years, while their son-" he trailed off as Taylor laughed quietly, shaking his head in wry amusement.

"Jake, my parents haven't exactly been close to me for the past decade. Things were never the same after..." He said, looking down at his lap briefly, before drawing a deep breath and looking out the windscreen. "I guess, they just couldn't handle it. Everything that happened, and they couldn't forgive me. Couldn't stand the sight of me, honestly, so-"

"That's horseshit..." Jake grit out, as Taylor looked at him in surprise. "Taylor, none of what happened to ya as kids was your fault. It weren't anybody's fault, sometimes shitty things happen to good people... That's just, somethin' ya gotta realise in life."

"It was my idea to play there..." Taylor said thickly, swallowing heavily as he met Jake's steady gaze. "You sure you'd be so keen to assure me I wasn't to blame, if it had been Rebecca who-"

"It _weren't_ ya fault." Jake said firmly, cutting Taylor off before he could finish as he reached over to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

Taylor frowned, cocking his head slightly as he examined the hard set of Jake's shoulders. "Hmm... Speaking from experience, huh?" He asked quietly, his heart clenching with guilt as Jake quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry... I shouldn't-"

"Nah, it's just..." Jake paused as he drew in a deep breath, staring out the windscreen into the distance. "I ain't used to people knowin' so much about me." He admitted quietly, clicking his tongue faintly as he looked back at Taylor. "Ya keep surprisin' me, Boy Scout." 

"Heh, well, you're the first person I've actually _told_ about my parents so, I think it's safe to say you know me better than most people too, at this point." Taylor said quietly, chuckling quietly when Jake's brows rose in surprise.

"Ya ain't told ya friends?" He asked, frowning as he jerked his thumb toward the school. "Not even Becca, or-"

"Most of us stopped speaking til recently, remember? And Diego..." Taylor paused, shaking his head as he swallowed heavily. "He has enough to deal with. His parents are really hard on him, and they despise me with a passion; almost as much as _my_ parents!" He huffed, a quiet unamused laugh escaping him. "He comes over when he can, but I didn't wanna make him feel guilty or compelled to come... He's my best friend. I just, didn't wanna be one more weight on his mind..." He finally admitted, glancing up at Jake before looking away again. "I guess I just don't wanna be pitied." He said quickly, blinking away the sting of tears in his eyes.

Jake was silent for a long pause, before Taylor felt his finger curl beneath his chin, forcing him to turn back to the pilot. "I ain't pityin' ya... I don't think ya need it. But I do think, ya a lot stronger than people give ya credit for." He said quietly, his thumb gently sweeping across Taylors jaw, as his heart skipped a beat. "I think ya been dealin' with a lotta shitty hands, and ya did it _alone._ Not many could do that... and I think ya oughtta know how impressive it is."

Taylor bit his lip and held his breath, his heart thudding almost painfully from the relief he felt flooding through him. As if able to see it himself and drawn to the sight, Jake began to lean forward his fingers sweeping higher on Taylors jaw to draw him closer. The loud buzz of the school bell made them both jump, and Taylor blushed guiltily as he cleared his throat and leaned back into his chair again. "Think that's my cue..." He said shyly, offering Jake a regretful grin as he opened his door. "Thanks for the ride, Top Gun, and for... _everything._ Again."

"Anytime, Boy Scout." Jake said, sighing as he sat back in his seat, tipping Taylor a familiar two finger salute as he got out of the car. "I'll try and see ya later, 'kay?"

"Oh... you don't have to-" Taylor began, his blush returning as he swung his bag onto his shoulder and ducked down to look back at the pilot.

"Shut up, Taylor." Jake sniggered, shaking his head fondly. Taylor huffed, throwing a mocking salute back at the pilot and startling a laugh from him before closing the door and watching as he drove away, offering a small wave as the car disappeared around the corner.

 _"Taylor!"_ He turned at the sound of his name, to spot Aleister and the rest of his friends hurrying towards him.

"Hey, everyone..." He said, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair, partially wishing he'd accepted the pilots offer to return home.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked, her arms rising around his shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug.

"What _happened_ after the party?!" Sean asked, his eyes wide as he clapped Taylor comfortingly on the shoulder. "Are you-"

"Jake said Craig was at ya house... That he was _unconscious?!"_ Rebecca cut in over Sean, her grey eyes clouded by concern as Taylor peeked up at her over Quinn's shoulder. "We wanted to come and see ya but-"

"It wasn't a good idea, we were basically dealing with the cops all day anyway..." Taylor said, finally drawing away from Quinn. "I was lucky he was there to be honest, I would've been totally screwed had I gone home alone, though... If I had I might not have been in time to-" he shuddered, his mind flashing back to the awful scene as he'd seen the shadows rise around Craig's prime body. "Has anyone heard anything about Craig?" He asked, glancing around his friends urgently.

"The hospital won't let anyone see him yet, but from what I know he's in a similar state to everyone else..." Sean said, his shoulders slumping as he looked over at Taylor.

 _"Unresponsive..."_ He murmured knowingly, nodding his head lightly. He drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he tried to calm the rising wave of panic in his heart.

"Holy crap..." Raj said, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at Taylor awkwardly. "What... what _happened_ to him, dude?"

"... When we pulled up, at first I didn't see anything. But then... It was like the shadows had hands, and they were lifting Craig up..." He said, his voice trembling as the awful scene replayed in his mind. "And... and it was gonna impale him, on this broken branch... And I-" he broke off, his throat thick with the cloying fear and grief which he'd felt since the evening.

"Jake... did he..?" Rebecca asked hesitantly, her gaze worried as she met Taylors watering deep blue eyes. He shook his head, scrubbing at his eyes quickly as he sucked in another deep breath to clear the words blocking his throat.

"No... No, he didn't see." He said, a brief sense of relief filling his heart, a touch of warmth from the pilots remembered support and earlier touch, before it was consumed by his grief once more. "He was in the car still, and i made it to Craig in time. He just thought I rushed to check his vitals and tripped." He huffed fondly, shaking his head as he wrapped his arms around his torso.  

Silence hung over them for a moment, thick and uneasy. "... Do ya parents know?" Rebecca finally asked, as Taylor coughed and ducked his head.

"Uh, yeah..." He lied, scratching at the back of his neck awkwardly. "Jake spoke to mom briefly." He said quickly, recalling the 'friend' Jake had called, who asked no questions when he told them to follow his lead. 

"Are you a suspect?" Zahra demanded, frowning in uncharacteristic concern. "My dad wouldn't tell me _anything!"_

"I'm not a suspect... But, that's mostly 'cause Jake helped with the talking to be honest; just said we'd just got back from the party and he was the designated driver bringing me home; that I was too out of it to really know anything... I think they wanted to try and pin something on me, but he was adamant and made them check with Michelle; she confirmed I was at the party all night. I don't know the kinda mess I'd be in right now if it weren't for him." He admitted shakily, flashing a weak smile to the group as Rebecca and Aleister reached for each of his hands and squeezed them briefly. 

"The small amount of info I could glean at the hospital was just that, Craig looked like he'd been beating something pretty hard with his fists, but hadn't taken much damage in return..." Sean said awkwardly, scratching the back of his hand. "I'm guessing he probably went down to the gym and wailed on the punching bag. The one at the edge of town. Down by-"

"The woods." Raj finished, shaking his head as he looked down at the ground, his hand balling into a fist.

"... The cops finally decided last night that Craig must've been trying to break in, slipped and concussed himself." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. "That he maybe planned to teach me a lesson, after the whole party fiasco..." He explained, shrugging his shoulder when his friends all glanced at each other. "Jake told them what had happened before Craig took off, and I guess Michelle confirmed it..."

"What do _you_ think, Taylor?" Aleister asked, his piercing gaze intent as he looked down at Taylor worriedly.

"I..." Taylor began, pausing to shake his head, as the words lodged in his throat. "I think Redfield was gonna kill him." He finally choked out, looking around his friends as they exchanged nervous glances.

"And, uh..." Aleister coughed, glancing away guiltily. "How, exactly, do _you_ feel about that..?" He asked slowly, as Taylor frowned at his friend.

"I think this is messed up, what the _hell_ else would I think?" He replied, his eyes widening at the guilty flush in Aleister's cheeks. "What? You think I was gonna be _pleased?!_ Jesus, Craig's been an ass sure, and last night especially, but he didn't deserve to _die_ for it! And definitely not like _that._ I'm not so bloody petty I'd wish that on anyone..." He snarked irritably.

"I... _apologise,_ Taylor. That was... uncalled for." Aleister said awkwardly, clearing his throat as he folded his arms over his chest.

"You guys see what this means, right?" Quinn said quietly, biting her lip as she looked around the group in obvious distress.

"It means things are devolving rapidly." Aleister sighed, raising a hand to his jaw and scratching delicately. "If Redfield is willing to _kill_ for us... There's no telling what else he'll do."

"So we put a stop to it doodlejumps, once and for all." Raj demanded, smacking his fist into his opposing palm loudly. "We march into those woods, find Mr. Red's house, and-"

"That's what started this mess!" Quinn cried, her eyes wide in fear as she looked over at Raj imploringly. "The closer we get to him, the stronger he becomes! And clearly, he's too strong already!"

"Seriously." Rebecca agreed, resting her hand on Quinn's shoulder in an attempt to calm her, as she glared at Raj in irritation. "What the _hell_ are we even supposed to do, against a freakin' shadow monster, that tries to impale people on trees?!"

"There's gotta be _something_ we can do..." Sean said firmly, shaking his head as he glared at the ground. "I'm not just gonna sit around while people get hurt! Next time, one of us might not be around to stop Redfield..."

"B-but, if he's doing all this for us..." Quinn babbled, her tone hopeful ,even though her crystalline eyes were heavy with despair. "Maybe, he'd go away if we just ignored him..."

"Sure." Zahra said, shrugging lightly. "And maybe if we all wish real hard,  the clouds will turn into cotton candy." She said, chuckling in amusement at her own joke, as Quinn sighed and rolled her eyes in frustration. "Look, we can't just ignore Mr. Red. We tried that already, okay? So, we go back to plan A... We need to understand him. It's the only way to get some control over the situation."

"You want to _control_ Mr. Red?!" Raj cried, his eyes first widening in shock, before narrowing in fury. "After what he _did?!"_

"I said control the _situation,_ not Mr. Red..." Zahra said flippantly, shrugging her shoulder dismissively. "But whatever, dork. You gotta better idea?"

"Just, hold on a second guys..." Taylor called, sighing as he rubbed his fingers against his temples. "To be honest, you're _all_ right. Mr. Red _is_ way out of our league..." He admitted, gesturing towards Rebecca, as she frowned at him suspiciously. "We _do_ have to do something to stop him, so that nobody else gets hurt..." He said, gesturing to Raj, who pouted but conceded Taylors point. _"And..._ we do need to know more. So, before we decide to do anything, one way or the other; we should look into ways to control or, even better, lock Mr. Red away. We won't know euther way, unless we look for it."

"Yeah, and while we're looking, more people might get hurt..." Raj pointed out, scowling as he raised his eyes to Taylors. "Might actually _die."_

"We are the ones closest to this fiasco," Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, we should endeavour to do everything in our power, to find a way to stop Redfield." He said, before looking around the group tiredly, spreading his palms before him. "But... the ugly truth remains; that there may well be nothing we _can_ do. Redfield may simply be beyond our reach, already he's far more powerful than when we were mere children..."

"Cool dude, thanks for the pep talk." Raj scoffed, shaking his head as he looked away, scowling towards the woods in the distance.

"Oh, I'm sorry Raj, would you prefer I sugar-coat this whole mess for your sensitive backside?" Aleister sneered, his gaze hardening as he glared over at Raj. "I am merely attempting to be honest about the situation we find ourselves in!"

"... Is it just me, or did Aleister just use a lot of big words to call Raj an asshole?" Taylor whispered to Rebecca, who fought hard to keep a smile from her face, though she nodded faintly in agreement. "Cool, just checking." He murmured, before turning back to the rest if his friends.

"Funny, it sounds a lot like you're trying to talk yourself out of doing anything to me, dude." Raj scoffed, turning away as Aleister noticeably prickled at the barb.

"C'mon Raj, nobody's giving up!" Taylor sighed, scratching his head in irritation. "We're just trying to figure out-"

"Save it, dude." Raj said, shaking his head as he took a step back from the group. "You know, for a second there... I thought you were all with me doodlejumps. I thought maybe, we were _finally_ going to make things right." He said, swallowing thickly as he slowly looked around them all. "Guess I was wrong." He said, before slouching off towards the school building.

"... Somebody wanna go after him?" Sean asked quietly, watching Raj sadly, as Taylor sighed heavily and did the same.

"Nah." Zahra said dismissively, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Let him have his hissy fit." The group looked around each other uncomfortably, before joining the thin crowd of students hurrying through the front doors.

The moment Taylor stepped through the doors however, a furious roar pierced the air. _"You!"_ Taylor felt his stomach drop, as he turned to see Estela bearing down on him like an angry dragon defending its nest.

"Oh crap..." He sighed, wincing in preparation of the furious girls attack. He threw up his hands in defence, taking a step back in the hopes of slowing Estela's approach.

 _"You..._ What the _hell_ did you do?!" Estela demanded, glaring at him hatefully as she stormed closer. "He almost _died!_ Now tell me, what the _hell_ happened?!"

"Estela, _wait!"_ Taylor pleaded, backing up as much as he was able. "I-" he gasped as Estela grabbed him by the front of his shirt, slamming him into the nearby lockers.

"I _know_ you saw something, now tell me-" Estela demanded, her dark eyes seeming almost to glow in their ferocity.

"Hey, leave him alone! It's not his fault your best friend is a jer-" Zahra began, reaching for Estela's arm to pull her hand free from Taylors top. However, Estela quickly shifted out of her hold, twisting free so she could slam her fist into Zahra's stomach.

"I wasn't talking to you," Estela snarled, her scarred eye seeming to glitter with gleeful malice. "Though after the stunt you pulled, maybe I should be focusing on you. He wouldn't have gone off alone if it weren't for you..."

 _"Hey!"_ Rebecca cried, moving to Zahra's side as she huffed and doubled over, glaring at Estela furiously.

"What the _hell?!"_ Sean demanded, scowling at Estela as he moved to gently step between her and Zahra. "I'm worried about him too, that doesn't give you the right to-"

Estela scoffed and turned back to Taylor, her eyes narrowed knowingly as she glared at him fiercely. "You're all as bad as each other. Burying your heads in the sand, pretending you don't know what's going on!" She snarled, looming over Taylor with fury and hatred in her dark eyes.

Taylor blinked, his heart racing as he stared back at Estela, his pulse rising as he realised there was more in her gaze than anger. _Pain... and fear_. He thought, his eyes widening in surprise.

As if realizing Taylor had seen deeper than she intended him to, Estela growled, her furious expression darkening as she gripped his top tighter. _"You."_ She said quietly, but no less threatening for the lack of volume. "You almost got him _killed..._ Just like-"

"That is quite enough!" Aleister roared, as he and Sean moved to her sided, forcing her to release Taylor and take a large step backwards, though her glare never diminished. Taylor stared at her, his heart motionless in his chest, frozen by the scarred girls accusation. He blinked, slowly turning his detached gaze toward Zahra, where Quinn and Rebecca were stood beside her, bracing her weight between them.

"You good, Snape..?" He asked slowly, the words hard to find as he struggled to fight off the sense of numbness which tried to smother him.

"Should we get help?" Quinn asked worriedly, as Zahra took a deep breath and straightened herself, glancing at Taylor briefly, before scowling back at Estela.

"Just keep that... _psycho..._ away from me." She bit out, as she pulled her jacket straight and tossed her Mohawk over her shoulder. "It's not my fault Craiggers is an asshole, he brought it on himself. We didn't have shit to do with it."

"Right, because you _didn't_ force him outta that party." Estela griped back, her teeth flashing briefly as she snarled at Zahra. "If I could've caught up to him, maybe I could've prevented it... But you made _sure_ I couldn't. You drove him out."

"For pity's sake, Miss Montoya, do calm down." Aleister drawled, rolling his eyes as Taylor leaned back against the lockers, looking up to the ceiling as he tried to fight off the rising memories in his mind, the gnawing guilt in his gut and the numbness at the edge of his heart. "Zahra was nowhere near the area Craig was discovered, she was already on her way home, as were many others. It was... an unfortunate, and unforeseeable accident-"

"You say that like you actually _believe_ it." Estela scoffed, rolling her eyes as she settled a fist upon her hip. "You're all pathetic. But _you,_ Taylor... I expected more from _you."_ She said, shaking her head at him, as he raised his eyes to hers; his dejection meeting her fury, and floundering beneath it.

"Hey, that's our friend your talking to." Sean said warningly, his gaze hardening as he shifted slightly, attempting to hide Taylor from her view. "So how about you leave now... before we _make_ you?"

Estela's fists tightened, shaking as she glared around them all, clearly debating her chances. Taylor blinked, his heart aching with guilt as he watched the dark haired girl silently fume. "Estela." He said quietly, his voice thick with the weight of his confession, as she turned and raised a brow at him. "I'm _sorry."_

Estela frowned, her gaze softening slightly as she took a deep breath, her hands finally ceasing their furious trembling. "I _know_ you are." She said at last, her annoyed gaze flicking over him. "The _problem;_ is that _you_ won't do anything..." She added, shaking her head as she blinked and glared around the rest of the group. "Just because you hate him-"

"Doesn't mean he deserved what happened! If I had been even ten minutes longer, he'd have been-!" Taylor exclaimed, startling his friends with his vehemence, before choking off in distress. "Believe me, if there was _anything_ I could've done-"

"There's _plenty_ you could do, Taylor, don't give me that bullshit. It might work on your little playmates, but _I_ know otherwise." Estela sneered, her gaze hardening once again as she focused intently upon Taylor. "And so do _you."_

"Estela-" Taylor began, shaking his head desperately, as her expression twisted with fury. She pulled back her fist and exploded towards him, but Taylor watched the process as if it were in slow motion. He hesitated for a second, debating whether perhaps he deserved the blow, but at the last second he dodged, and instead grabbed Estela by the arm. "I'll admit to bearing the guilt, the blame, whatever you wanna call it." He whispered to her, his expression darkening as he leaned close to her ear. "But... I am _done_ standing around and taking other peoples fists to my face-"

Estela snarled, twisting her hips and ripping Taylor off his feet. She hurled him over her shoulder, and slammed him into the linoleum. _"Oof!"_ He gasped, rolling onto his side and curling his knees to his chest with a groan.

"Estela, Stop!" Rebecca yelled, scowling at Estela as she panted lightly, before glancing down at Taylor nervously. "Leave him alone!" She cried, as a crowd began to form around them.

Estela growled and moved forward again, only for Sean and Aleister to grab hold of her arms, moving her back several steps and allowing Quinn to rush to Taylors side to check on him. "I understand you're upset, Miss Montoya, but truly; if you don't stop attacking people..." Aleister huffed, as he tried to hold back the viciously squirming girl in his grasp.

 _"Arrgh!_ You're all as bad as each other!" Estela growled, throwing her weight into each of the boys restraining her in an attempt to free herself. "Between your determined blindness, and you're stupid carelessness!" She snarled, pointed glancing at Zahra, who's eyes widened and darted around the other students briefly. "I honestly can't decide which one of you's worst half the time... But _you_ know, don't you Taylor?"

"Bitch, I do _not_ know what you're talking about." Zahra said, her scowl returning as she noticed Taylors expression crumpling with guilt.

"Oh please, you're about as subtle as _he_ is." Estela snorted, tipping her chin toward Taylor as she continued to struggle against Sean and Aleister. "You might manage to fool the rest of these idiots that its cheap magic tricks, but I know the truth. The _whole_ truth."

Taylor choked as he felt the tickle of something in the back of his mind, the faint flicker of a memory which remained just out of his grasp. He swallowed heavily, shaking his head as he tried to grasp the memory, only for it to flutter out of his grasp like paper in the wind; leaving him frustrated and nervous, as if he'd lost something important.

"If that were true," Zahra said, scowling at Estela murderously. "Punching me in the gut, seems like a _pretty_ dumb idea." She warned in a low voice, though Estela merely snorted in response.

"I'm not afraid of you." The scarred girl said quietly, the hints of a smirk twitching her lips. "Go ahead and do something to me right now. I _dare_ you..." She said, folding her arms over her chest.

Taylor frowned, still irritated by the lost knowledge he was certain would help him understand Estela's rage. He glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing their first classes would soon be starting. He opened his mouth to tell the others, when Estela suddenly twisted free of Aleister and Sean. She dodged around Rebecca, and shoved her shoulder into Quinn's to knock her aside, before grabbing Taylors shoulders and slamming him against the lockers. "S... _stop..."_ Zahra warned, as Taylor gasped in surprise, but glared back at Estela defiantly.

"Let _go_ of him!" Rebecca cried, trying to pry Estela's hands from Taylors shoulders, as the lights flickered once. 

Taylor felt his panic surge, thrown back to the memory of the shadowy tendrils he'd witnessed after the party. _No... Not here_! He thought desperately, his eyes widening as he gazed at Estela. He planted his feet against the base of the lockers, and shoved as hard as he could, forcing Estela back several steps and loosening her grip on him. "You need to _stop!"_ He insisted firmly, glancing back to the lockers they'd just moved away from, as they began to rattle ominously.

"Estela... You don't understand!" Quinn pleaded, exchanging a nervous glance with Rebecca, as she moved to the other girls side, the pair reaching for each others hands to both give and receive comfort.

"Listen to them, Estela... Don't make me-" Zahra began, approaching slowly as her fingers twitched, like she yearned to reach for the knife Taylor knew she kept hidden in her boot.

"Oh please, if you were gonna do anything you would've by now." Estela scoffed, barely glancing at Zahra before turning back to Taylor. "Why the hell won't _you_ do anything?!" She demanded, her frustration clear in both her expression and tone.

Taylor felt goosebumps break out across his arms, as locker dials began to spin. "Estela, _stop!"_ He warned, shaking his head as he glanced worriedly at his furious friend. "You don't understand what you askin-"

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Estela fumed, glaring at him in heated exasperation. "You don't _understand_ that ignori-"

"Okay, you know what? I am so _done_ with this little threat-fest." Zahra sneered, stepping forward as a wave of force erupted from her, knocking Taylor and his friends away from Estela, as she began to growl and fight back against the force attempting to throw her down the hall. "We all said it. Now get the _hell_ away from him!"

"Zahra, _wait!"_ Taylor called, as Estela drifted down the hall, snarling as she fought against the force propelling her back into the bulletin board. Students began to scream as Zahra advanced on her, scowling furiously.

"You really wanna waste your time on _me_ right now, freak?" Estela growled, glaring at Zahra as she approached. "You might wanna try learning some self control, before you find yourself-"

"Ha. Funny." Zahra snorted, pausing a few short steps away from Estela, the pair glaring st each other hatefully. "Coming from the resident _psycho_ who can't keep her own temper."

"Zahra..." Taylor gasped, moving slowly down the hall as the lights flickered once again, his friends fury seeming almost to coalesce around her.

"I _warned_ you." She snarled, as Estela's head rolled back against the wall, her dark eyes filled with furious hatred as her chest began to heave.

"You... gonna add another... body to your count..?" Estela choked, panting with effort to try and catch her breath, her feet flailing once as she began to slide slowly up the wall.

"Oh my _god..."_ Rebecca gasped, her hands rising to cover her mouth as she stared at the display in horror.

"Zahra, think about what you're-" Aleister began, moving to try and place himself between Zahra and Estela, only to be knocked aside by another brush of force. 

"Zahra..!" Quinn gasped from nearby, shaking her head in disbelief, as tears streamed down her face.

Taylor grimaced as he struggled to get closer to his friend, his heart racing as he stared at Estela's furious expression. "I _told_ you to leave him alone." Zahra said firmly, scowling as she raised her hand toward the dark haired girl slowly.

Sean moved up beside the pair, raising both fists as he glanced between them hesitantly. "I... I don't know what to do here, man." He said, his face conflicted by grief.

"Zahra..." Taylor panted, struggling closer to finally wrap his arms around his friends shoulders, grunting at the wave of force which emanated from her. _"Zahra..._ You have to let her _go..!"_ He murmured in her ear, holding her tightly as Zahra froze suddenly.

"Huh..?" She muttered, blinking as if waking up suddenly. Estela dropped to the floor, landing in a crouch, as she drew in a deep breath and glared at them. "I don't... _what?_ Oh shit..."

"Estela... Are ya-" Rebecca began, reaching for the scarred girl, only to be firmly brushed aside as Estela got to her feet herself.

"I'm fine." She insisted, coughing briefly as she glanced toward Aleister, who was carefully approaching from Zahra's other side.

"Are you sure you're quite alright..?" He asked stiffly, casting a worried glance over her, before doing the same for Zahra.

"I don't need your pathetic pity!" Estela growled, glaring over Zahra's shoulder at Taylor, as he continued to hold onto her; until he was suddenly dislodged by a harsh shove from Quinn.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" She demanded, glaring at Zahra furiously. "You could have _killed_ her!" She cried, shaking her head as she took a step back. "You don't think there's been enough... _bad things_ happen just recently?!"

"Quinn, don't-" Sean began, reaching out for the redheads shoulder, only for her to dodge our of his reach, hugging her arms around her torso.

"I..." Zahra balked, looking around in rising panic as whispers broke out around them. Taylor glanced around his friends, his gut churning at the distrust and fear blossoming in their expressions. He watched as Zahra's head fell forward, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Behind the swaying curtain of her Mohawk, she mumbled darkly. "... Screw this." She raised her head, scowling around them all  and raising her voice. " _Screw all of you_!" 

The crowd parted, as Zahra stomped down the hall, wiping furious tears from her face. "Zahra, _wait!"_ Taylor called, starting to move after her, only to be cut off by principal Hall as she rounded the corner between them.

"What is going on out here?!" She demanded, glaring around the students gathered in the hall, as they began to shift awkwardly and drifted away as inconspicuously as they could.

 _"Ahem..._ There was a-" Aleister coughed, glancing around briefly before straightening his jumper. "A _fight,_ Principal Hall." He explained weakly, clearing his throat awkwardly.

 _"Pftt,_ call it what you like." Estela sneered, scowling at Aleister as if offended by his attempt at diplomacy. "This was _nothing_ compared to what's yet to-"

"You are all supposed to be in class!" Principal Hall said firmly, glaring around the lingering students as they hurried to disperse into their various classes. She turned, calling after Zahra with a frown. "Miss Namazi! Where do you think you're going?!"

"... Anywhere but here." Zahra scoffed, storming away down the hall. Without bothering to look back, she held up her middle finger and continued straight out the front doors.

"... Crap." Taylor sighed, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. He bit his lip and glanced around as a wave of awe whispers rippled through the hall.

Principal Hall turned, fuming as she glared around the remaining students. "The rest of you, get to class!" She snarled furiously, shepherding everyone out of the hall, as Taylor lingered at the back of the crowd.

 _Everything just keeps getting worse_... He thought, looking after Zahra forlornly. _Raj was right... We_ \- he shook his head, his hand clenching into a tight ball at his side as he drew in a deep, stabilizing breath _ **. I** have to make it stop._ He thought determinedly, before Principal Hall reached him and ushered him to his class. He was prevented the opportunity to act upon his new conviction, his day filled with too much preparation for upcoming exams and events before the big night; prom.

By the time the school day finally finished, he was utterly exhausted, and admittedly not sure he could deal with his friends or the fallout between them from the mornings events. He hurried out the back doors, and quickly walked over to the coffee shop on Main Street. Armed with fresh coffee, he hunched over a notebook, scribbling at the bottom of an already cramped page. _There has to be a way to stop Redfield, to set everything right_... He thought, frowning as he sipped his coffee. _Something staring me in the face... I just have to find out what it is_! He thought, growling to himself in frustration as he slammed his pen down and turned to glare out of the window. _The longer this goes on, the more we're all gonna be pulled apart again_... He thought, huffing a deep sigh as his phone chimed, message notifications popping up on his screen. ... _I don't wanna lose everyone again_. He thought despondently, before hesitantly reaching for his phone.

He couldn't fight the slight twitch of his lips as he saw Jake's alias, recalling with affection all the support the man had loaned him over the difficult weekend. The smile faded before it could bloom however, as he read his message. **Hey, Boy Scout... did something happen with you guys? Becca seems kinda upset.**

He huffed as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he wondered where he would even begin explaining, if he were actually able to. **You trying to get me to spill classified information there, Top Gun? I think you're pushing the boundaries of this relationship a little... You've gone straight for the hard stuff, and not even tried bribery**! He sent back, snickering to himself as he imagined the pilots grin.

 **Oh? And what kinda bribery would I be needing? Besides my rugged good looks and charm**? Jake replied, as Taylor bit his lip to contain a grin, his heart lightening at the pilots easy banter.

 **Wow, mister ego... You're pulling out both of those, huh? Well if you've been working without either so far, I think I might be in trouble facing you with them!** Taylor sent back, attaching a shocked emoji for good measure.

Jake's reply was swift, and only a single word, but conveyed his cocky attitude and his amusement, as easily as if he were present. **Definitely.**  

Taylor laughed, drawing in a deep breath and savouring the affection and light-heartedness which Jake's messages had inspired. He hesitated a moment, before finally sending another message, this time a genuine reply to the pilots obvious concern for his sister. **It's a long story.**

 **High school drama**? Jake asked almost immediately, clearly aware that Taylor was giving him a more serious response.

 **Yeah.** Taylor hedged, biting his lip guiltily as he considered briefly, the wild idea of opening up to the pilot about everything; before rapidly, brutally dismissing the idea. _He'd think I was crazy... Hell, it's a wonder he doesn't already_. He thought, shuddering as he imagined Jake's reaction to the full truth of his morbid past.

 **Alright, well...** Jake replied, seeming to sense Taylors reluctance to say anything further. Taylor felt guilt tug at his heart, wishing he could say something, anything, to alleviate the pilots concern and frustration **. Let me know if you need to get away for an afternoon. I know a great diner, a few miles outta town..**. Taylor felt his heart thud heavily in his chest, relief and gratitude consuming him at Jake's kind and thoughtful offer. **Burgers the size of your head**. He laughed at Jake's follow up message, biting his lip as a pleasant warmth began to radiate within him.

 **Kinda sounds like a date, Top Gun**... He typed out, pausing as his felt his pulse race, his blood thudding loudly in his ears. He bit his lip hard, and deleted the message, shaking his head as he instead sent a vague acceptance, attaching a smiling emoji to the end and imagining Jake's amused bark of laughter. **I'll let you know**. He set down his phone with a fond grin, feeling refreshed from the pilots interjection, when his phone suddenly chimed again. He snorted as he picked it back, expecting another cocky reply from the pilot, but was surprised to find a new message awaiting him.

 **Hey.** Taylor almost choked on his coffee at the blasé greeting of the girl who had ignored him all day.

 **Oh my god, you haven't replied to my messages all day**! He sent back, scowling at his phone as if it were the girl herself. **Where are you**? He asked, concerned as to just where she'd ended up.

 **Zahra the Witch stalks the highland plains, feasting on the blood of the innocent**. Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes, flopping back in his chair as he shook his head at his phone. **By which... I mean I'm drinking a smoothie in the mall parking lot**. She admitted a moment later, as Taylor snorted and tapped his foot against the opposite chair. **Bracing for the parental showdown of the century when I get home...**

Taylor winced, his heart aching for his friend despite not actually having any real understanding of just what she would face upon returning home to face her father. He sent back a sad emoji in response, biting his lip guiltily when he couldn't think of anything further to say.

 **... Is everyone okay**? Zahra asked a moment later, clearly reluctant to ask but desperate to know **. I didn't kill anyone, did I?** Her messages came through almost as one, barely a beat passing between them as Taylor felt his heart sink in sympathy.

 **No.** **Estela was fine, she left a little after you, barely even bruised**. He assured, biting his lip briefly before shifting awkwardly and sending another message. **All of us are fine too... Are you okay**? He added quickly, hoping to divert her attention from the rest of them, while also admittedly concerned for her.

 **Yeah.** Zahra replied, but after only a few seconds, it was followed by another. **No.** Again only seconds passed, before another message chimed into his inbox. **I dunno**. She finally admitted. There was a long pause, and Taylor felt his heart melt as he imagined her looking around the crowds despondently, before finally; another message arrived. **My phone's about to die... I'm gonna finish my smoothie and get home...**

 **Text me later**? Taylor asked, frowning at his phone as he wondered just what his friend might fave upon returning home.

Zahra's reply was swift but brief, only a single letter, but enough of a promise for him to let her go for the time being. He was about to lower his phone again, when a message from Rebecca pinged into his inbox, and he groaned as he debated ignoring it briefly, before finally opening it up. **Hey. How're you holding up?**

 **Not great.** Taylor replied, feeling guilty that he half hoped his vague response would be off putting enough for the redhead to leave him alone.

 **Same.** Rebecca replied instead, as Taylor grimaced, his mind wandering back to the mornings events **. I feel like crap...**

 **Why? You didn't do anything**. He sent back quickly, frowning as he thought back to Jake's messages, worrying about Rebecca. _She should be able to talk to him, he obviously loves her to bits_... He thought, shaking his head in exasperation.

 **Exactly.** Rebecca texted, and Taylor frowned, leaning forward to prop his elbows on the table, as a flood of messages poured into his inbox. **I coulda done more to stop that fight with Raj. And all that crazy shit with Zahra**... Taylor shook his head and snorted, wondering of the redhead really believed she was the only one who felt that way **. I just feel so outta my depth here. Like, everyone else is trying really hard to deal with this, and I'm just this dumb girl, caught up with dumb high school drama...**

Taylor rolled his eyes and scrubbed a hand over his jaw, drawing in a deep breath and puffing out his cheeks as he exhaled it slowly. **You know that's not true**. He finally sent back, though he doubted Rebecca would actually believe him.

Rebecca replied to his message quickly, and he snorted at the blatant disbelief in her words. **If you say so**... He chuckled quietly, moving to lean back in his chair again, as she sent another message on the heels of the first. **I gotta goto cheer practice now, but I'll talk to you later**!

 **Byee...** Taylor replied, feeling as if there were nowhere near enough sarcasm in the message, but sensing that it would likely prove to be a good thing for when he spoke to her later. He finally set his phone down again and scrubbed his hands over his face, glancing up as the café door bell jingled.

"Hey." Raj said shortly, looking around awkwardly as Taylor felt his eyes widen in surprise.

"Raj! What are _you_ doing here?" He asked, shaking his head and blushing as he realised how accusatory he sounded. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze guiltily, biting his lip as he recalled the argument from earlier in the morning.

Raj sighed, shifting guiltily as he looked over at Taylor sheepishly. "Looking for you." He finally admitted, sliding into the chair opposite Taylor, and leaning forward to look at his notes. " _Hates sunlight, incorporeal form, can control animals_..." Raj read aloud, as Taylor flushed and glanced around in embarrassment. "Dude, are these notes on Mr. Red, or Dracula?" The large boy snorted, as Taylor pouted and snatched his notes away, shoving them quickly into his bag.

"You get that the whole coming here alone thing was on purpose, right?" He asked, pouting petulantly as he glanced at Raj, before lowering his gaze to his coffee.

"Yeah, dude." Raj said, waving a hand dismissively. "I figured that was the case when I saw you sneak out the back door after school and book it down the road..." He said, pausing to frown at Taylor curiously. "So, why _didn't_ you tell anyone where you were going?"

Taylor toyed with his coffee for a long pause, before finally sighing and looking up at Raj tiredly. "Because _someone_ has to figure out how to stop Mr. Red... And-" he swallowed thickly, his eyes blazing with guilt as he met Raj's curious gaze. "I don't want to risk anyone else." He finally admitted in a quiet voice.

"Huh." Raj hummed, looking over at Taylor quizzically. "Didn't peg you for the martyr type, little dude." He said at last, looking around the café as he sucked in a deep, shuddering breath.

"It's not like that." Taylor sighed quietly, shaking his head slowly, as he poked at his coffee dispassionately. "I'm just... tired of seeing my friends get hurt." He said, swallowing thickly as he turned to look out the window at the passing town folk and cars. "And after what happened this morning..." He added, drawing in a deep breath, and exhaling it shakily, as he shook his head and finally looked back at Raj. "I think maybe we all need a little time apart anyway." He said sadly.

Raj stared out the front window, tapping his foot on the ground restlessly. "I'm sorry, Taylor." He said quietly, his unblinking gaze still locked ahead of him. "I know I can be a real jerk about Mr. Red stuff dude. Its just..." He paused, holding his breath for a moment as he visibly tried to reign in his rising temper. "Every time I think about him, I get mad about... about what happened, all over again." He growled, his large hand curling into a fist on the table. "Then I get pissed at everyone else, for not being as mad as I am." He vented, glancing at Taylor finally, before quickly looking away again.

"You've got more right than any of us to be mad..." Taylor murmured, trying to bat down the guilt surging in the base of his throat. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry, that I pulled away."

"Whatever, dude." Raj muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation. "We don't have to rehash all that." He said, turning back as he noticed Taylor avidly shaking his head.

"No, I..." He said, swallowing as the words tried to choke him to keep him from saying them. "I'm as guilty as anyone else; hell, I'm probably the guiltiest party there is. I pushed you away, and honestly... I kinda did it to everyone, not just you." He paused, his jaw aching as he sucked his tongue briefly and tried to draw in a deep breath. "I... I pushed _all_ of you away-"

"Except Diego, dude, but-" Raj countered, his eyes widening at Taylors continued attempts to apologize, clearly still uncomfortable with their discussion. 

"Believe me I tried. But then, I dunno, I guess I realised how much I really _needed_ him." Taylor admitted, looking up and meeting Raj's stunned gaze with a broken expression. "And I'm _sorry,_ that I let it stay the way I did, for far too long... I-"

"Jeez, little dude..." Raj mumbled, looking away as his cheeks flushed with obvious embarrassment. "Uh... I mean..." He paused, taking a breath quickly, before looking up at Taylor with a small smile. _"Thanks._ I appreciate that, man."  The two of them fell into a long silence, as the coffee shop bustled around them. Until finally, Raj began to chuckle quietly.

"What?" Taylor asked, raising a brow curiously as he surreptitiously checked himself over to make sure he hadn't spilled something on himself without noticing.

"Nothing, I just..." Raj hummed, as a rare, genuine smile spread across his face. "I just remembered something funny... I was thinking about this time I ran away, and... and my lil cuz came to 'rescue' me. They always knew how to..." He trailed off, rubbing his forehead tiredly as he huffed and glanced back at Taylor. "Eh, you probably don't wanna hear about that..."

Taylor leaned forward in his chair, propping his chin on his hand as he smiled faintly. "No, come on... I want to hear." He said quietly, gesturing for Raj to continue.

Raj eyed him dubiously for a moment, before he smiled and began again. "Okay, so, like I said... I had just run away, and man was my backpack heavy... The amount of pointless crap I had shoved in there dude, I'm surprised I could even carry it." He huffed fondly, glancing over at Taylor briefly, before looking back down at the table. "I was hiking deeper and deeper into the woods, so determined and proud of myself for leaving my old life behind. I don't remember how long I'd actually been going, before I decided it was time for a snack break."

Taylor chuckled, raising a brow at Raj knowingly. "I find that very hard to believe Raj..." He teased, as Raj too began to laugh.

"Ahem, so anyway," Raj coughed, calming himself so he could continue. "I set down my backpack on this stump, right? And I got some Cheesyfish crackers... And I was totally bummed dude, 'cause they got squished, and I was determined that meant I couldn't eat 'em!" Raj laughed, shaking his head in feigned sympathy for his younger self's distress. "So then suddenly, I heard this twig snap in the underbrush, right? Leaves crunching, ferns rustling and there i am, pulling my little slingshot outta my bag..."

"Dude, you were pretty lethal with that thing." Taylor huffed, smiling as he remembered Raj's skill when it came to shooting down cans with pebbles.

"Heh, it was a talent alright..." Raj admitted fondly, his lips twitching in vague reminiscence. "Anyway, I got all flustered, telling whoever it was to stay back while I scooped up a pebble. I aimed high, fired, and next thing I know there's this familiar little voice yipping in surprise 'cause I hit them."

"Oh man, they must have been _pissed!"_ Taylor laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair, recalling the fiery temper of his young friend from a decade before.

"Damn straight. Out steps my lil 'cuz, rubbing their forehead with this angry little glare... and threatening to tell on me for shooting people with my slingshot again!" Raj chuckled, humming in fond remembrance. "We did the whole back and forth; why are you here, I came to find you, and I got stroppy 'cause my note specifically said not to come after me... and the cocky little doodlejump just looks at me and demands why I even left a note, if I didn't want people to look for me." He said, looking down at his lap and toying with the hem of his shirt. "I was... honestly kinda confused when they put it like that. I sat on the stump and they came and joined me, asking if I was running away because of them. I said no, of course it wasn't; it was because I heard my folks fighting again, and my mom had said the big D-word..."

"Divorce?" Taylor guessed as Raj nodded glumly, before beginning to laugh, quietly at first but quickly gaining volume.

"Yeah, I explained it to 'em... And I, I was under the impression that once the divorce happened one of them had to go to jail!" Raj explained amid his laughter, shaking his head at the memory. "I dunno where I got that idea, but man... I was so sure. They got real quiet for a bit after that, but I could see that little frown on their brow."

"The one that said they were trying and failing to understand something?" Taylor asked, grinning softly at the remembered expression.

"That's the one, doodlejump." Raj chuckled, scratching behind his ear. "They finally asked how running away helped, and I pointed out it weren't supposed to help, so they wanted to know why I was doing it. When I couldn't answer, they got up, planted their little fists on their hips and just... Dude, I don't think I've _ever_ been so righteously scolded before." Raj snorted, clearing his throat before pitching it slightly higher in mimicry of a childs voice. " _Well, I think you're being selfish! If you run away, who's going to walk me home from school? Or help me find Gizmo when he gets out of his cage? And eat the crusts off my sandwiches_?" Raj repeated, as Taylor shook his head in amusement, though he frowned slightly at the sudden flash of something darker beneath the large boys amusement. "'Course, I just said you'd probably do it..."

 _"What?!"_ Taylor yelped, shaking his head in feigned disgust as he wrinkled his nose. "Dude, I _hated_ crusts, I would never have-"

"Heh, they said the same thing..." Raj chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head at Taylors reaction. "I just meant more that, you did everything else with them, you know?" Raj asked, huffing and visibly flushing when Taylor frowned and blinked at him in confusion. "They gave me that same look too..." The large boy chuckled, before sighing and shaking his head guiltily. "I guess, I was feeling a little left out. You two did everything together little doodlejump... Even going to Mr. Red's house first, just rubbed me the wrong way. They called me on it, my jealousy. Said that you guys were besties, but, we were family. Then, they just started shaking me. Like a lot... And demanded I stop being sad." He huffed, laughing quietly as he rolled his eyes. "Of course they then cheated at a race home, just to beat me."

Taylor snickered quietly, looking down at his coffee, as Raj finished his story, drawing in a deep, content breath, as the coffee shop seemed to turn a touch warmer around them. "That was cute, dude." He finally said, looking up at Raj's chuckle and reaching over to tap their his fist to Raj's lightly when the large boy offered it to him.

"Heh, yeah." Raj admitted, smiling so warmly, Taylor could barely remember the last time he'd seen him so genuinely relaxed. "It's kinda nice to think about something besides... all _this."_

"But man, I never knew your parents were having trouble back then..." Taylor said, frowning in guilty concern as Raj shrugged dismissively.

"Yeah, well..." The large boy sighed, squinting through the front window briefly before looking down at his lap. "Dad could be kind of a jerk, and my mom worked a lot. Things were rocky enough back then already, and then after..." He paused, humming thoughtfully for a moment, before clearing his throat and forcing himself to continue. "After everything, they could barely stand to look at each other. Or me." He said quietly, as he and Taylor both turned to watch a tumble of leaves gusts silently past the window, down the street and away.

"You uh, you wanna hear something kinda messed up?" Taylor asked hesitantly, peeking up at his friend guiltily.

"What?" Raj asked immediately, his eyes widening in concern, as Taylor quickly shook his head and raised his hands in placation.

"For all the awful things he's done, I have to admit..." He said slowly, wincing guiltily as he bit his lip. "My life _has_ gotten better since Mr. Red returned." He said, looking down at his coffee when Raj noticeably flinched and looked away, his shoulders tensing angrily. "If it wasn't for him, none of you guys would have started talking to me again... He brought us back together."

"Yeah, after driving us apart, little dude!" Raj growled, shaking his head as he drew in a deep breath. Finally he sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing as the fight left him. "Look, I get what you mean..." He said quietly, glancing over at Taylor at the reluctant confession, his gaze haunted by grief. "But Redfield is a _monster._ He's hurt people, and he'll do worse the longer this goes on." He said, jabbing a finger at the table top accusingly. "No matter how he tries to trick us, dude, we can't forget that all he wants is to drag us into that house and do the sane thing he did... years ago." He finished awkwardly, swallowing heavily before he sighed and shook his head. "All he wants is power, so he can escape. We _can't_ let that happen... And we can't make the same mistakes we made as kids."

"Yeah... You're right." Taylor sighed, his heart sitting heavy in his chest as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "So. What do we _do?"_ He asked, looking up to see Raj looking back at him with a helpless expression, his palms spreading briefly to show his uncertainty. "Well, let's see what we can put together..." Taylor sighed, tugging his notes from his bag again and sharing them with his friend. 

The pair spent the next couple of hours brainstorming fruitlessly, before finally parting ways for the evening. "Hey, don't sweat this dude..." Raj said with an almost affectionate grin, as they turned down opposing roads. "We'll find a way to fix this." He assured, his smile faltering slightly, before falling into a small frown. "... somehow."

"Thanks, but..." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair to scratch behind his ear. "I don't know how I'm gonna fix anything, when I don't even know what Mr. Red really _is,_ or why he's doing this to us." He admitted, dejection pooling in his stomach like acid.

"I guess, all we can do is judge him by his actions." Raj said thoughtfully, shrugging his shoulder as he hutched his schoolbag slightly higher. "Try to find a pattern."

"Yeah... guess so." Taylor agreed, offering a weak grin and a wave, before starting home, his thoughts spiralling in his mind. He allowed himself to dawdle, processing ludicrous and genuine thoughts alike; from ancient legends of monsters to more recent tales of horror. But no matter the idea, nothing seemed to come close to Redfield.

He was so lost in his musings that his return home was mostly automatic, feeding Furball and Fiddler without thinking and leaving then both fresh water, before moving to his room in a daze to flop onto his bed face first. _How can we stop something we don't even understand_? He wondered, biting his lip as he curled his arms around his pillows and propped his chin upon them. _What if he hurts someone else_? _What if we fight over something stupid, and he ends up actually killing someone for it_? He bit his lip, worrying over their fight that morning, and if it might now have put Estela into Mr. Red's crosshairs. _Oh god, what if we fight with **each other?** What if **I** fight with **Jake**_ **..?** He wondered, a sound of distress leaving his throat as he rolled back up from his bed.

Agitated, he trotted back downstairs, terrified at the thought of bringing yet more harm and pain to those he loved. Unable to sleep for his fears, he ambled his way to his garden shed in the pre-dawn hours, staring at the strange items he'd collected. 

Fiddler and Furball followed him down from the house, his kitten batting his head from the table above as he sat on the floor, while Furball curled into his lap and licked at his wrist worriedly. "Hey, quit that!" He chuckled, pleased at the minor diversion from his distressing thoughts. He scooped the small kitten into his hand,  and scratched her belly with his other, while she gnawed at the end of his thumb.

"I hope you two are getting along better than the rest of us..." He said quietly, laughing quietly when Fiddler hissed and swiped at Furball's nose, while Furball yipped happily and licked Fiddler's entire face in response. "I guess that's the best I can hope for..." He huffed, bringing the kitten to his face and nuzzling her gently. "You two are seriously adorable though, I gotta admit."

Fiddlers ears perked up suddenly at the sound of twigs, and Mal fluttered in through the rafters. "Ohhh, the dirty stop out returns!" Taylor leered, grinning up at the grow fondly. "I was wondering where you were." Fiddlers wide eyes tracked the crow as she squirmed, trying to go after him. Taylor scowled and pushed her between Furball's paws. "Watch this little hellion for me, Furball... Family do not eat each other in this house, no matter how oddball we are!"

Furball yipped happily, before flopping his head down atop the kitten, who struggled briefly, before falling asleep. Taylor huffed in amusement, getting to his feet with a groan. _I envy you kitty..._ He thought tiredly, as he approached Mal's nest. "Glad to see you're feeling well enough to fly." He said, as Mal fluttered his wings and settled in his nest. Taylor was pleased to note the bird wasn't so jumpy around him, and took it as a sign of progress in their relationship. He peeked beneath the bird, and sure enough, spotted another crumpled wad of paper beneath his wing. "Is that..." He asked, tentatively reaching for the letter. "It is..! Another of those letters! This is getting so weird, where the hell are you even _finding_ these?!" 

Mal's head twitched back and forth, his expression inscrutable, as Taylor eyed the letter thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you're gonna let me just have that, are you?" He wondered aloud, inching his hand closer slowly. " _Please don't peck me, please don't peck me, please don't peck me_..." He muttered, plunging his hand into the nest quickly and snatching the letter. _"Woo!"_ He cheered, as Mal cocked his head sr him curiously. "Hey, you usually peck first and ask for food later... Don't gimme that look for feeling pleased I got this without getting a sore finger!"

He smoothed out the paper, and slowly began to read it through. " _Dear E.B, sleep comes scantly of late. My boarding house bed teems with crawling creatures and ill dreams. Night after night I find myself drawn, and not knowing why, ever deeper into these sirenic woods, as terrifying as they are beautiful_." He rolled his eyes, wondering why this person never took that as a darn good sign to get right on out of town and never look back. He sighed, shaking his head as he continued. _"So it was that this past Sunday, one such walk brought me before a terrifying rite; in a bracken grove, I espied thirteen hooded figures, genuflecting before some golem beast of dirt and stone... A sacrament? A summoning? It is hard to say. But if the power that grips this town is some fell eidolon, I sense I have discovered its clergy_." Taylor frowned, re-reading the passage briefly as he felt a strange swell of déjà vu, but shrugged it off quickly to continue _. "I must find a way into their ranks_... Oh, dude that is such a bad idea, I'm gonna just say that now. _October seventh, Eighteen seventy one..."_

Taylor sighed, pinning the letter beside the others as he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, this Filleus guy discovered some kind of cult in the woods, trying to raise some kind of monster... And his first thought wasn't to run, but to join in?" He drawled, scrubbing his hand over his jaw tiredly. "Well. I guess he wasn't winning genius of the year... But, what does all of this _mean?"_ He growled in frustration, staring at the letters as if willing them to answer him. "I have to put a stop to all this, guys... But how can I _stop_ it, when I barely _understand_ it? Like this thing..." He muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ancient whistle he'd once gifted his best friend.

"I haven't seen this whistle in ten years." He said, shaking his head as he began to pace restlessly. "Then suddenly, it turns up in the woods? That can't be a coincidence. Almost like it was a... _gift."_ He paused, blinking as an idea twitched in the back of his mind.

"Wait a minute..." He murmured, as things began to piece themselves together in his head. With his hands shaking, he drew his phone from his pocket, and quickly text Raj before he could lose his train of thought. **Raj, I think I just figured something out...**

He was surprised but pleased when Raj replied moments later, though he chose to ignore the lack of words in his message and instead jumped upon the chance to explain. **Remember when we went into the woods to look for Diego**? He text quickly, his thoughts all but exploding into his mind as he raced to type as fast as he could. **And I found the whistle?**

 **Yeah?** Raj asked, clearly still half asleep, but trying to wake up and take Taylor seriously.

 **I don't think that was just a coincidence. I think Redfield left it there for me**... Taylor sent back quickly, an odd mix of excitement and dread combining in his gut, as realisation dawned.

 **Makes sense.** Raj replied, seemingly not as awed by Taylors epiphany as he had expected the large boy to be. **Just one more trick to lure us in.**

 **Right, except he _hasn't_ tried to lure us into the woods for days. He just keeps trying to solve our problems**... Taylor sent, shaking his head in disbelief as he leaned against the makeshift table. **Attacking Ben for Sean, dealing with Michelle for Rebecca, healing Quinn; trying to kill Craig for me**... He rambled, his messages growing shorter as the pieces connected before his eyes.

 **What are you saying, dude**? Raj asked, clearly both confused and frustrated that he couldn't follow Taylors thoughts; or at least by the early hour. 

 **What if the things he's doing, _aren't_ tricks**? Taylor asked back, his eyes dipping quickly to the whistle before sending another message almost immediately after the last. **What if they're just... _gifts?_**

 **What the fuck, dude**? Raj replied, and Taylor growled in frustration at his friends obvious frustration with him. **Why the hell would he give us gifts?**

 **I think maybe in the beginning, he did need us to cone back, to increase his power**... Taylor sent back, partially ignoring Raj's question in favour of airing out his ideas as they formed **. But, I think he brought us all back together, because he _misses_ us**... Taylor felt a rush of exultation, certain he finally had the answer within his grasp. **He wants us all to be friends again**.

 **No way!** Raj scoffed immediately, and Taylor could feel the fury from the two word reply, as if it were radiating from his screen. **After he killed one of us? And tried to kill someone else?! What he's doing is so messed up little doodlejump...**

 **Yeah, but think about it! He was the same way back then**! Taylor said dismissively, pushing away from the table to begin pacing again,his fingers typing and sending messages as fast as he could. **Always going just a little too far, always playing just a little too rough. I don't think he understands that he's doing anything wrong**... Taylor gasped suddenly, his eyes widening as he lowered his phone for a moment, before hurriedly typing and sending messages at a rapid rate. **What if he doesn't even understand that he killed anyone**? What if all hr knows, is we had a big fight, and then pulled away from him? Taylor paused, swallowing heavily as he stared at his phone **. Like we did you**... He sent, before quickly shaking his head and continuing. **And he doesn't understand why! And he thinks that if he just makes us happy, we'll come back and see him again?**!

 **Oh holy fucking shit, dude... I think I'm gonna barf**... Raj's message took several long seconds to appear in Taylors inbox, clearly shocked beyond words at the picture which Taylor had painted for him.

 **Chyeah... Tell me about it.**.. Taylor choked, as he lowered his phone and rubbed his tired eyes briefly. At the familiar chime and vibration, he raised the device once more, and bit his lip at the message waiting for him.

 **So, what do we _do_ about it**? Raj asked, and Taylor blew out a deep breath as he considered, wondering just what the right answer might be.

 **What if... We just tried _talking_ to him**? He asked, frowning as he typed out his thoughts straight into his messages as they occurred to him.

 **Oh sure, just invite him out for some coffee and just have a chat**. Raj replied, his message dripping with sarcasm. Taylor scowled at his phone, his fingers battering into his buttons furiously.

 **Do you have a better idea**? He demanded, shaking his head irritably. **You said yourself, this isn't just going to stop happening... and if anything, its just getting worse**. Taylor swallowed, stopping in his tracks as he drew in a deep breath and looked at the whistle in his hand. He clenched his fist tightly around the object, grimacing as he looked back to his phone determinedly. **If I can fix this... then I have to try.**

 **What, by _yourself?_** Raj asked, his concern heavy in his brief message. Taylor drew in a deep breath, looking down at Furball and Fiddler, and then around his shed in dejection. Finally he looked back at his phone and for the first time in a long time, he was pleased he was alone.

 **If I'm wrong... I can't risk any of you getting hurt anymore**. He sent back, blinking as he felt fear choke him briefly, imagining his friends hurt or worse yet; because of his actions, or inactions.

 **Wait, when are you thinking of going?** Raj asked, and Taylor smiled tiredly, sensing the sudden spike of suspicion in his friend. He sighed deeply, steeling himself as he raised his phone and began to type.

 **No time like the present**. He replied, walking slowly across the shed and standing in the doorway. He looked up at the sky, not quite ready to lighten, and he wondered vaguely the last time he had just admired the stars. His phone buzzed, and he looked down quickly.

 **Wait, you're going** **_tonight?_** Raj demanded, blatantly shocked and distressed by the information. **Like, _right now?_** He clarified, as Taylor huffed weakly.

 **If Mr. Red was willing to kill, just to settle some petty argument one of us had with someone... He could be ready to do it again at any time**. Taylor explained, swallowing heavily as he considered having been home just a few short minutes later, or if he had just kissed Jake again in his car, and missed the shadows movements from the corner of his eye. **What if tomorrow we go to school, and Estela has been killed? Or Principal Hall? Or your mom?** He asked, his heart clenching painfully as another thought struck him, and he typed it out to send off quickly. **Or one of _us..?_**

Raj's messages came quickly in return, his distress clearly mounting at Taylors growing determination. **Okay, okay, but just hold on a sec! This is _crazy,_ dude**! He quickly sent, as Taylor guilt spike in his gut, imagining his friend scrambling about his room in distress. **Like, what are you even gonna** _ **do**?!_ Raj demanded, as Taylor took a steadying deep breath.

 **What we should have done back then... instead of just, running away**. He decided, sending the message as his thoughts coalesced. **I'm gonna walk into the woods, and tell Mr. Red to stop hurting people, and leave us alone**.

 _ **What?!**_ Raj's message all but vibrated with fear an concern, but Taylor was already slowly moving back through the shed as he read it, as well as the second which quickly followed it. **Taylor, _no!_** His phone buzzed suddenly, loudly disturbing the otherwise peaceful night, as Raj tried to call him, but Taylor pressed ignore and jammed the phone deep into his pocket.

"I hope I'm right about this..." He murmured, swallowing nervously. "But, just in case I'm not..." He hummed, grabbing his bat Candy from when he'd left it. Furball hopped up from the floor, his ears perked as he stared up at Taylor worriedly. "I can't promise its gonna be much fun, but you can come if you want..." He said, crouching and offering his hand to the fox, allowing him to scamper up his arm to perch on his shoulder.

He turned and walked out of the shed and across his garden to the tree line, where he paused briefly as he took several deep breaths. "Time for a little chat with an old friend..." He mumbled, his heart racing in his chest as he stared into the dark woods, and slowly walked forward.

The branches overhead seemed to swallow the sky, as he strode deep into the forest, glancing around nervously at every flickering shadow. "Okay..." He finally said, coming to an abrupt halt as his courage finally diminished, refusing to let him go any further. "This should be far enough." He said, his voice cracking as all around him, the forest seemed to shudder with chill winds and the cries of shrieking crows. He shivered, sensing a strange energy in the air; and on his shoulder, Furball sniffed suspiciously at the air. "I feel it too. He's close..." He said, petting Furball's ear gently, as his other hand gripped Candy tightly. "Alright. Let's do this."

Taylor planted his feet firmly, ignoring the rapid racing of his heart, as he cleared his throat, his breath white in the autumn air. "Mr. Red!" He called, a short spike of terror whisking through him, quickly replaced by shame at the thrill of excitement he felt after it.  "... Come out to play." He whispered, the words disappearing the instant he said them. He knew he'd been heard however, as the forest fell silent around him, and a slow fog began to roll in. "Here we go..." He murmured, clutching Candy with both hands, his knuckles white as Furball began to growl softly from his shoulder, glaring at something in the distance.

Taylor scanned the space between the trees slowly, staring into the darkness and finally, spotted a shadowy figure staring back at him. His blood turned cold, his heart racing as he stared at the familiar form, both terrified and elated; and ashamed of both sensations. He struggled to speak, his voice shaking as he firmly fought the urge to turn and run away. "C-come out. I... I want to talk!"

Redfield stepped forward, and Taylor felt a dizzying lurch as the distance between them stretched, snapped, and contracted. Suddenly; there he was, standing right in front of him, just a little too close. "... _talk..?"_

Furball's growls grew to a threatening snarl, the first vicious sounds Taylor had ever heard from the little fox. He reached up cautiously, keeping his eyes on Redfield, as he tentatively stroked his ear. "Easy, boy. _Easy..."_ Ge murmured, swallowing nervously as he stared into Redfield's eyes. Two tiny pinpricks of light amid the darkness, terrifying but consuming. When Taylor spoke again, his voice was trembling. "You... you want to be friends, right?" He asked thickly, his heart lurching almost longingly; though he told himself it was fearfully.

"... _friends... yesss..."_  

"That's why you've been doing all this?" Taylor continued, voicing all the thoughts he'd sent in message form to Raj. "Why you've been visiting us? Giving us _gifts?"_ He asked, as he held up the whistle in his palm, and dangled it for the being to see.

Redfield's eyes blazed suddenly, like burning neon as his ethereal body shifted excitedly.  _"Yessss! Giiiiiftssss! Friiiieennnnds_!" Redfield reached toward him with a frightening eagerness, and Taylor was sorely torn by his desire to let the being consume him; and flee back to his home. Redfield froze suddenly however, as Taylor spoke again, his voice surprisingly firm despite his confliction.

"No, Mr. Red." He said thickly, shaking his head in a way he refused to think of as sad. "I know... you're trying to help, but... We _can't_ be friends." He said weakly, clearing his throat and steeling his nerve, before trying again. "You _killed_ someone... hurt people, do you understand? That's _not_ something we can forgive." He said, swallowing heavily at the suddenly wide, seemingly shocked and remorseful eyes which blazed at him like fire.

 _"... nnnooooo... I heeellp, friends heeeeelllp_..."

"Friends are people you trust..." Taylor said, his expression twisting with a strange sense of grief as he stared at Redfield. "... and we can't trust you, to do what's right." He said roughly, thrusting the whistle forward as it hung from its chain, and jingled quietly in his shaking grasp. "Here, take it back. Take it _all_ back." Redfield slowly plucked the whistle from Taylors grasp, cocking his head in confusion.

"... _take... back_..?"

"Yes." Taylor said, swallowing heavily, as he finally took a single, deliberate step backwards. "And then just... leave us alone. Please." He said quietly, gazing up at the being he'd once called friend; and who even now, seemed to resonate within him.

 _"Alone... alone..."_ Redfield clutched the whistle to his chest as his lanky, incorporeal body hunching as he curled around it.  _"Allloooooonnnneeee..."_ His pained keening split the air, and Taylor gasped sharply as the being slowly began to dissolve into wisps of black smoke, blowing away on the wind. He finally let out a long breath as the last of the smoke faded, feeling suddenly lightheaded.

"I... I did it..." He muttered in disbelief, blinking before the corners of his lips began to twitch into a relieved smile. "He's gone!" He said, a giddy joy flooding his mind and heart alike, as he thought of how his friends would now be safe. He reached up to pet Furball's ear gently, as he turned to go home; only for his heart to stop, as he came face to face with a creature of boiling shadow.

" _noooo... Nooooo!"_

 _"Aaaaahh_!" Taylor cried, his heart lurching back into action, and seemingly at double the pace it gad previously; as Redfield grabbed hold of him, his touch both burning and freezing his skin at once, as angry flames howled from the creatures skull like face.

" _You wiiilllll plaaaaay!"_


	12. Ungrateful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cry, i cry...
> 
> I hate to be so mean to them, but thats just how the cookie crumbles... but anyway - sorry updates have been slower, i'm not sure who is still interested tbh - i kinda feel like i cocked it up somewhere and then of course i got into AME - and i have had to pick up the slack at work so... its been pretty hectic.
> 
> Dont worry though, im still gonna finish ♡ i still love this story, even if i am struggling a little... but i hope it doesnt show too much, so that you can enjoy it ♡
> 
> Oh, the halloween fic isnt gonna happen btw... i got about 700 words in and... couldnt do anynore while i was ill. I just, havent had the heart since then.
> 
> Anyway - hope you enjoy the update, please lemme know what ya think ;)
> 
> x My love to you all x

**12.**

**Ungrateful**.

_Ten years ago..._

Flashlight beams bobbed in the dark, as Taylor and his friends crept through the woods toward Mr. Red's house. Taylor could barely breath, his heart was racing so fast, swelling with excitement in the base of his throat, with every step they took.

"You _sure_ your parents won't notice we're gone?" Diego asked, his own excitement noticeable in the glint of his eyes, but backlit by concern.

"Nah, dude, they think we're all sleep in the back yard." Taylor replied, grinning and giggling with his friend as they exchanged an excited high five.

"I left the night light on in the tent..." Quinn huffed, leaning on Rebecca as she struggled to clamber over a particularly large root. "Just incase they look out the window."

 _"Rad."_ Zahra praised, bumping her fist to the redheads shoulder as she passed by, eager to push to the front of the group.

Taylor jogged to catch up to his best friend, who walked a few steps in front of the group. "Boy, it sure is _spooky_ out here at night, huh-?" Before he could finish however, his friend scowled and stuffed their nose higher into the air, as they sped up to get ahead of him again.

"Psst, Taylor... What's wrong with Raj and his cousin?" Sean whispered, as Taylor frowned after his friend in confusion. "They're being all weird and quiet..."

Taylors frowned, glancing over at Raj, who was staring down at the ground s he walked, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "I don't know..." He murmured back, dodging a branch as he sidled up to Raj. "Hey, is... everything okay?"

"Not really." Raj admitted, glancing over at his cousin as he bit his lip gently, before sighing and looking over at Taylor. "Something happened to us the other day... it freaked us out pretty bad, and... well, they're _super_ mad at you, dude..."

"At _me?"_ Taylor yelped, his eyes widening in surprise. "What did _I_ do? What happened to you guys?" He asked worriedly, more concerned about his friends than the fury he'd apparently inspired.

"On Wednesday, we were walking home from school, and this creepy old lady started following us." Raj explained quietly, glancing around nervously as if expecting the old woman to reappear any second. "I dunno who she was, but she looked really mean and... and she was all withered and half her face was all messed up..."

"Oh man!" Zahra exclaimed, her own eyes widening in shock and awe as she jumped a log on Raj's other side. "That's Ximaedra, the freak!"

"Who?" Taylor asked, frowning in confusion as he tried to understand both who the strange woman was and how it was anything to do with him.

"She lives in an old shack on the other side of town, out by that broken bridge." Sean explained quietly, glancing around at the twisting shadows around them. "My cousin told me, her face got melted off by acid."

"What?" Rebecca cried, stumbling slightly in her surprise. "My brother said she bakes 'lil clay coffins, and her face got burned when the oven exploded..."

 _"Pfft,_ since when do you listen to anything Jake says?" Taylor scoffed, grinning broadly as Rebecca shrugged guiltily, conceding the point easily.  "That's what I thought." He snickered, before turning back to Raj with a frown. "So... What'd she want?"

"I dunno dude!" He exclaimed, frowning worriedly as he glanced at his cousin once more. "She came outta nowhere and tried to grab us! We got separated and... She went after _them,_ not me." He admitted crestfallenly, almost seeming ashamed of the confession.

" _Oh my_ _gosh!"_ Quinn gasped, looking up to the front of the group, and the stuff shouldered, angry figure leading them. "That must have been so scary..."

Taylor frowned and turned toward his best friend, who was blatantly pretending not to listen to the conversation. "... are you okay?" He asked tentatively, blinking in surprise when they huffed and scowled at him.

"Yeah..." They said, stomping forward through the forest noisily. "No thanks to _you."_ They added, shaking their head in furious irritation.

"What do you mean?" Taylor yelped, his eyes widening as he jogged to try and catch up to them, as they charged ahead as if propelled by fury alone.

"I mean, your stupid whistle _doesn't work_!" They cried, whirling on him suddenly with a hurt scowl, forcing Taylor to pause and lean back from their invasion of his space.

"What?" He balked, his eyes wide as he blinked in confusion. He shook his head, frowning at the furious face before him, as his friend sniffed and scrubbed their arm over their eyes.

"You _promised!"_ They cried, their eyes welling with tears even as they tried to fervently scrub them away. "... If I got scared, I could use the whistle and you'd come save me!" They said petulantly, sniffing to hold back another wave of tears. "But I blew and blew, and you _never showed up!"_

"Dude, the whistle's not magic!" Taylor protested, almost laughing at the incredulity of his friends fury. "I can't hear it from miles away!"

"Then why'd you promise you _would?!"_ They demanded, holding back a sob with a fierce growl, glaring at Taylor accusingly.

"Because," he said, shuffling his feet in discomfort, as he hunched his shoulders and looked down st the ground. "I wanted you to feel _safe..."_ He said quietly, biting his lip as he peeked back up at his friend. "I was trying to _help_ you."

"Well I don't _need_ your help!" They insisted, holding their head higher as a gleam of childish vindictiveness flashed in their eyes. "And I _don't_ need your stupid whistle!" They added and before Taylor could stop them, they tore the whistle from their neck, and hurled it into the woods.

 _"Hey!"_ He protested, his eyes widening at the hurtful gesture. He shrank back from his friend, who continued to seethe and glare at him.

"Hey, little Doodlejump..." Raj said quietly, moving closer and wrapping his arm around their shoulders. "That was mean." He said quietly, trying to diffuse their terrible temper.

"I don't care!" They roared, shrugging themselves free of Raj's hold and stepping away, scowling at Taylor with hurt and hatred combined. "Taylors a promise breaker!"

"Am _not!"_ He denied weakly, still to shocked to feel truly angered by the accusation. He swallowed heavily, sad for his friends experience, but at a loss for how to cool their temper and make them understand he hadn't abandoned them.

"If you're quite finished." Aleister sighed, walking past Taylor to gesture through the next batch of trees, to where a clearing lay. "We've arrived."

Taylor finally looked away from his friend, bumping their shoulder lightly as he pushed past to look at the familiar sight of Redfield's house; except shrouded by darkness for the first time.

 _"Sheesh..."_ Diego murmured, looking around uneasily. "This place is kinda creepy at night..." He said, ducking as he saw a bat flitter across the air above their heads.

"Only if you're a baby..." Sean sniggered, bumping his shoulder to Diego's affectionately and laughing when they mock tussled for a moment, as Diego feigned offence.

"Where's Mr. Red?" Quinn asked thoughtfully, as they approached the beings abandoned house as a group.

"Yeah, I thought he'd be able to come outside at night..." Rebecca agreed with a curious hum, frowning around the empty clearing.

"He's probably just being shy." Zahra said quickly, dismissing their queries and concerns. "So?" She asked eagerly, looking around then all with an excited grin. "Can we go in already?"

"I suppose that depends..." Aleister drawled, dusting off a cuff of his sleeve, as he glanced around his friends in disdain. "Is everybody done fighting?"

Taylor glanced over at his best friend, meeting their eyes briefly as he felt a rush of heat touch his cheeks, before quickly lowering his gaze to the floor at his feet. _"Fine."_ He heard his friend mutter haughtily, and he felt his heart clench painfully at the sound of their fierce tone.

"We'll stop..." He agreed quietly, nodding vaguely as he wrapped his arms around his torso, and slowly raised his eyes to Redfield's house; excitement awakening in his gut once more.

"Then... lets go." Diego said, smiling as he stepped up beside Taylor and nudged his elbow gently. "Mr. Red's waiting." He said, as Taylor smiled back and nodded. They looked back to the building as one and together, Taylor and his friends headed inside. They crossed the dark, main room to the staircase he'd spotted the first time he'd entered, and finally; descended into the darkness below.

_Present day..._

Taylor panted frantically, as deep in the woods behind his house, he struggled to break free from the hold of a furious Redfield. Furball jumped from his shoulders to the ground, growling and snarling fearfully as his blue fur stood on end, tiny snowflakes emanating from him as he practically vibrated with fury.

" _You... Willll... Plaaaaay!"_

"Let _go_ of me!" Taylor demanded, scowling as he twirled Candy up to his side. "You want to play?! _Fine!"_ He cried, tightening his grip as best he could on the bats handle. "Lets see how you like _baseball!"_ He roared, wrenching one arm free and swinging Candy at Redfield's face. _"Hrah!"_

The bat passed through Redfield's head leaving shreds of viscous shadow, clinging to the barbed wire. _"Rrraaaaahhhhhhhh!"_ He screamed, hurling Taylor away from him.

 _"Oof!"_ Taylor grunted, as his back slammed against a tree. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath as tendrils of black mist crept along the ground, when Redfield slowly approached.

 _"Plllaaaaaaaayyyyy..."_ Redfield insisted as he drifted closer, only to pause as Furball bound forward to stand between them, his hackles raised and teeth bared, as the ground beneath his feet began to frost over. Redfield recoiled from the snarling animal, momentarily reverting to his insubstantial form as he hissed.

"Good boy..." Taylor choked, pushing himself to his feet with the help of Candy. "Now, lets get out of here!" He cried, breaking into a run as Furball snorted disdainfully at Redfield, before following close on Taylors heels. The woods seemed to warp and shift as Taylor ran, shadows tangling his feet like weeds. 

All the while, Taylor could feel him getting closer, and closer. "Taylor..." He called to him, as Taylor tried to block the being from his mind, focusing on the trees up ahead where they began to thin; and he was just able to make out his back yard.

 _"Aaahh!"_ Taylor yelped, as his shoe snagged upon a root suddenly, causing him to trip. He recovered quickly however, solidly planting his other foot on the ground to keep running. "Just a little further boy, c'mon!" He called to Furball, increasing his speed, and finally bursting through the tree line into his own back yard, just as the horizon began to glow with colour. "Almost..." He began, just as a thin, skeletal claw clamped around his wrist, stopping him short.

 _"Nooo..."_ Redfield growled, his grip tightening painfully, bruising Taylors akin; as it burnt beneath his touch. " _Taylor... Yooouuuu staaaaaayyyyy!"_

 _"No!"_ Taylor cried, struggling to free himself desperately, as he turned to face the furious face of the monster, his heart lurching confusingly in his chest. "Let me go!" He yelled, pleading with the being which restrained him. " _Let me go_!"

Furball snarled, trying to vote and freeze Redfield's legs, only for his teeth to pass straight through him. The little fox whimpered briefly, seeming uncertain how else he could help, as Redfield pulled; and Taylors feet began to slide along the damp grass, back toward the trees.

 _"Please!"_ Taylor pleaded, struggling desperately as inch by inch, he slowly pulled Taylor closer; until suddenly, sunlight broke over the treetops, slicing into Redfield's hand. The creature screamed, attempting to hold onto Taylors wrist, even as his fingers began to melt into smoke. "What's the matter?" Taylor huffed, glancing up at the lightening sky in relief, before scowling over at Redfield. "Not a fan of sunshine?" He taunted, yanking hard against Redfield's grip, and finally pulling himself free, as Redfield hissed and retreated into the shadows of the woods.

 _"Everyone... plays_..." The shadowy being whispered, his fiery visage fading as his body dissolved into a river of smoke, which streamed back into the trees. A moment later, he was gone.

Trembling, Taylor sat down hard in the grass, a feeling of dread settling over him as his stomach churned with nausea. Furball whined, laying down beside him and resting his head in Taylors lap, his big eyes locked onto Taylors face in obvious concern. Taylor swallowed thickly, and stroked his head absently with a shaking hand, his eyes locked on the woods ahead of him. _What... did I just do._.? He wondered distractedly, shaking his head slowly as he forced himself to his feet. He quickly deposited Candy in his shed, before stumbling back to the house, trying to clear his head of the numbness which consumed him and finally falling back into his bed in a daze.

After barely an hour of trying to sleep, to turn off his thoughts for even a short pause, he finally gave up altogether and dragged himself out of bed again. "As if I weren't enough of a mess right now, I have to go to school _too?"_ He sighed as he crossed over to his closet to get dressed, half debating taking the day off and going back to bed, before deciding against it quickly; desperate for the distraction from his own thoughts. "Well..." He said firmly, staring at his bruised body in the mirror, the marks still visible around his neck along with Craig's punch to his jaw; and of course, the dark new addition Redfield had given him upon his wrist, only hours ago. He cleared his throat, his gaze rising to his haunted deep blue eyes, as he tried to shove all of his concerns away and plastered a familiar false grin to his face. "I might as well look good doing it."

Fiddler twined around his ankles as he dressed, meowing loudly for attention. "Okay, just a minute, you..." He chuckled as he rolled up the high collar of his favourite black vest, carefully concealing his bruised neck, before adding a loose bracelet cuff to his wrist; covering the evidence of his encounter with Redfield.

Finally done, he scooped Fiddler up and set her down on his bed, laughing as she rolled onto her back and purred loudly, as he scratched her belly gently. "No one can be sad when there's a kitty tummy!" He chuckled, shaking his head fondly as she playfully grabbed at his finger with all four paws. "Be good today, okay? Shoelaces don't grow on trees... and I do _not_ want to have to exhaust my finds buying new ones." He huffed, as she purred and nipped his finger affectionately.

Taylor drew in a deep breath as he turned back to the mirror, examining himself, as he combed his hair quickly. When he was finished, he nodded to himself firmly, exhaling in a heavy burst as he clicked his tongue. "... Let's _do_ this." He said, grabbing his things before heading down the stairs and out the door.

He glanced at the woods briefly from his front doorway, shivering as he remembered how close he had truly come to being dragged back in. He huffed, shrugging his back higher on his shoulder as he trotted across his garden to the shed, in order to check on Mal before heading out. Furball greeted him at the door, whining worriedly as he sniffed at and then gently licked Taylors injured wrist, his tongue cool against the warm flesh. Taylor smiled tiredly, stooping down to scratch behind the foxes ears gently. "I'll be okay." He promised in a whisper, telling himself it was absolutely not immoral to lie to a fox.

Furball yipped, licking Taylors cheek briefly, bouncing in a circle around him before scampering away, back into the yard and up to the house. "I'm gonna have some _serious_ issues with giving you up, when Lila comes back..." Taylor called after him, the fox pausing to throw what Taylor assumed was a cheeky grin over his shoulder, before continuing up to the house. 

Taylor huffed and shook his head, rising to search out his feathered friend and finally spotting him in the rafters, an old piece of paper clutched in his talons. "Got another letter?" Taylor asked knowingly, standing on his tiptoes to examine it as best he could. He frowned up at the bird, hardly able to read the neat scrawl at such a distance. "You gonna let me take a look at that?" He asked, only for Mal to ruffle his feathers and squawk at him angrily. "Well... We'll just see about _that."_ Taylor groused, narrowing his eyes irritably.

He dropped his bag and carefully climbed up onto the work table, and held out his finger. "C'mere, little guy." He said soothingly, a sly smile plastered to his face. "You know I won't hurt you..." He cooed, as Mal cocked his head at him briefly, before dropping the letter and hopping onto Taylors outstretched finger. _"Aww!"_ He chuckled, drawing the bird closer slowly. "Does this mean we're buddies now?" He asked in a babied voice, as Mal flapped his wings and crowed gently. _Taylor one, bird nil..._ He thought, snickering as he quickly grabbed the letter in his free hand, before transferring Mal to his nest and hopping down from the table.

"Lets see what you got up to this time, Goddard..." He huffed, scanning the letter quickly. " _Dear E.B... If your father disliked me before, he shall loathe me now. I've joined a cult!_ " Taylor rolled his eyes at the gleeful tone of the opening passage, wondering if the man had truly bee so proud of himself as it appeared. " _After my last letter, I took to spying on the conclave in the woods. Last week, I finally managed to track down and befriend one if the scoundrels_." He read, shaking his head at the seemingly idiotic man.

" _I've learned they worship a 'Master' who grants supplicants its favour in the form of dark magicks. And golems, are the least of it_!" Taylor shivered, his arms drawing closer to his chest as the memory of Redfield's furious image flashed behind his eyes. "Ahem... _Psychokinesis, command of wild beasts; the things I've seen would make Marie Laveau blush_!" Taylor frowned, lowering the letter as he considered the mans excitement, comparing it to his own as a child. _Was I... as enraptured as him_..? He wondered, utterly disturbed by the idea and even more so; by the fact that he already knew the answer.

Taylor cleared his throat, shaking out the letter with a trembling hand, as he continued to read quickly. " _And the best news; when I asked if I might share in his Master's power, my new friend seemed not only receptive, but positively delighted... October thirteenth, eighteen seventy one._ Oh Goddard, what an idiot pair we make." Taylor sighed, running his hand through his hair distractedly, before he pinned the letter to the back of the work table. "Just sayin' buddy, but its _really_ gonna end poorly for ya." He said, sighing as he grabbed his things and took a last look around the shed, before shaking his head and heading out the door.

On the long walk to school, hw dug out his phone and tried to compose a long text to his friends, biting his lip as he winced in anticipation of their reactions. "Oh god... what the _hell_ do I even say?" He wondered aloud, sighing heavily as he rubbed the back of his neck. "'Oh hey, just a heads up but, I tried to fix things and it went wrong and now Mr. Red is _super_ mad'?" He shook his head, typing out a rough draft quickly. He hesitated as he read it through, before groaning and quickly deleting it to start over; only for his phone battery to die. _"Aaarrggghh!"_ He growled, clutching the phone tightly in his hand and seriously debating whether to launch it into the woods at the side of the road.

"That is _it_!" He snarked, glaring at the device in his hand angrily. "If I live through all this crap, I'm buying a new phone and I'm toasting _you_ in the microwave!" He griped, hesitating a moment longer, before shoving the dead phone in his pocket. He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to growl and mutter to himself, glancing around distractedly and realising he was about to pass Raj's street. _Guess I'll just have to warn everyone in person.._. He thought grimly, turning with a sigh and heading towards Raj's house. A mere minute later, he was walking up his friends driveway awkwardly _. I haven't been here since_... He thought, swallowing thickly as he felt his fingers curl into a fist. He took a deep breath, and forced himself to keep walking, determined to face his many wrongs; and at least attempt to begin putting them right. As Taylor approached the house however, he couldn't help but hear raised voices coming from within. "Is that..?" He wondered, frowning as he took a hesitant step closer.

"I was just going to see a friend!" Raj's voice rang out, and Taylor winced at the mixture of fury and grief in his voice. "I don't know why this is such a huge frickin' deal!"

"At four in the morning on a school night?!" His mother roared back, as Taylor quickly took a step back, glancing at the door uncomfortably. "I'm not an _idiot,_ Raj!" She yelled, as Taylor looked around the street uncertainly. "I swear, if I find out you've been getting high behind the café again-"

"That was _one_ time, when I was fourteen!" Raj yelled back, interrupting his mothers vicious diatribe. "Maybe if you were home more, I wouldn't have felt the need to sneak out!" 

Taylor took three more quick steps back, shaking his head as his heart lurched painfully. _This is all my fault_... He thought briefly, looking at the door guiltily. _I... I should just leave_... He thought, turning yo walk away as a furious snarl erupted from inside.

"You ungrateful..." Raj's mother growled hatefully, as Taylor felt his spine tingle with discomfort. "What the hell did I ever do to deserve _this?!_ To deserve losing everything I loved... instead of-" Taylor's breath caught, his heart lurching as he found himself freezing in his tracks. "Raj... I didn't mean that. Raj, _wait..."_ Raj's mother called, as the door slammed open and the large boy himself stormed out, his eyes gleaming with hurt and betrayal. 

He looked up, and stopped short upon seeing Taylor, standing awkwardly by his front lawn. "Taylor!" He cried, surprise lighting his face as he hurried over. "Holy shit dude, are you okay?! When you wouldn't answer your phone last night, I thought..."

"I'm alive..." Taylor said, ducking his head guiltily. _"Somehow."_ He added lightly, glancing over at the house behind his friend. "Um... are you okay? It uh, sounds like your mom is... pretty mad."

"Yeah, it's fine, dude." Raj sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "I mean, it's not _fine,_ but it's pretty par for the course." He said, shrugging his shoulders as Taylor frowned at him in concern.

"Dude, I gotta ask..." Taylor said awkwardly as Raj tensed, watching him suspiciously. "Is there anything I can do to help you..?" He pressed on, as Raj glanced back at the house with a pained expression.

"With this?" He asked quietly, sighing as he turned back to Taylor and shook his head dejectedly. "Probably not." He admitted, though his despondent tone was countered by the soft smile which touched his lips. "But... it means a lot that you want to. Thanks, Taylor."

 "Of course." Taylor said quickly, flushing with guilt as they began to walk down the sidewalk side by side, heading for the main road. Taylor took a deep breath, and with a brief glance at Raj, began to tell his friend everything that had happened when he went to confront Redfield in the woods; concluding by shifting the cuff he'd wrapped around his injured wrist, showing him the burn from where he'd been grabbed.

"Damn it... I _knew_ something was wrong!" Raj growled, glaring at the marks on Taylors wrist, until he once more hid them away beneath his cuff. "I tried to come and help dude, but mom caught me sneaking out my window..." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily.

"Raj..." Taylor sighed, smiling tiredly as he glanced up at his friend. "I wish you _had_ been there." He admitted, shaking his head and looking down at his feet, as they continued up the road to school. "I should never have tried to face him by myself. If the sun hadn't come up at just the right moment..." He trailed off, swallowing thickly and shivering at the thought of how differently things could have ended. He looked up again as he drew in a deep breath, flashing what he hoped was a convincing smile to his friend. "Well, let's just say I could've used some backup."

"You've got it, doodlejump, anytime you need." Raj assured, clapping his hand upon Taylors shoulder briefly. "Next time, I'll do a better job of sneaking past my mom." He added with a wry chuckle. They walked in silence for a few minutes, listening to the wind ruffle the trees alongside the road. "Listen..." Raj finally said, clearing his throat as he glanced sideways at Taylor. "Mr. Red throwing you around like a rag doll sounds terrifying... but, you did the right thing."

"Yeah?" Taylor scoffed, holding his arm up again briefly, though the cuff he wore hid the awful marks. "My char broiled wrist begs to differ." He snorted, rolling his eyes as he lowered his arm to his side again.

"Seriously, dude." Raj insisted, shaking his head slowly. "Every time we all try to talk about stopping Mr. Red, we just end up arguing and nothing gets done. Look what happened yesterday, man..." He said, sweeping his arm before them dramatically. "It was about time someone took charge and put a stop to that monsters messed up 'gifts'."

"Maybe you're right... But, I'm still worried about just one thing." Taylor said, looking over at his friend with a conflicted expression.

"What's that, dude?" Raj asked, frowning at the concern marring Taylors expression.

"If Mr. Red was a nightmare when he was trying to be nice... What's he gonna be like now he's mad?" He asked, grimacing as he shook his head. Raj had no answer, but his expression grew troubled as they continued up the road toward the school. 

They separated to their different classes upon reaching the school, promising to meet up later in the day. Taylor found himself kept occupied throughout the day however, by both classes and coursework which he needed to complete before his exams at the end of the month. He was slightly dazed by the time he joined the rest of the school that evening, as they gathered to watch the second basketball game of the season. He was just about to head into the gym, when he caught sight of Jake and Rebecca off to one side and decided to make his way over to them. "Fancy meeting you two here." He greeted them, as Jake turned to him with a grin, briefly running his eyes over him in appraisal. 

"Yeah, crazy how we keep runnin' into each other." He drawled, smirking at the and playful jab of Taylors fist against his shoulder.

"Jake and I were just tryin' to think of a way to talk mom out of chaperonin' homecoming..." Rebecca explained, rolling her eyes as Jake and Taylor exchanged playful jabs and snickers. "Because ya know, _ugh."_

"Ooh, tough one." Taylor huffed, grinning as Jake drew back with a quiet snort and a shake of his head. "What about if you invited her to a fake fundraiser?" He asked, grinning as Jake and Rebecca both laughed. " _Mayor McKenzie, you're invited to a benefit for... some disadvantaged group! Please join us in Salem on the night of your daughter's big dance."_

" _Oh my god_ , that'd be hilarious." Rebecca laughed, her grey eyes lit by amusement and glee at the idea.

"It is the perfect trap." Jake admitted, ruffling Taylors hair and smirking as he pulled away with a pout and tried to restyle his hair. "Tell her she's been nominated for some phony award, hell; I bet she'll even write a speech."

"Oh my god..." Rebecca laughed, shaking her head as she sighed wistfully. "It'd never work, but damn... a girl can dream. Thanks Taylor, I needed a laugh." She giggled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders briefly.

"Anytime." Taylor quipped, winking at the redhead fondly. He glanced at Jake for a second, clearing his throat before looking back at Rebecca meaningfully. "Uh, Becca, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked awkwardly, feeling intensely guilty for not confiding in Jake, but desperate not to get the man involved; especially if Redfield was only going to get more violent. "Something happened with our, uh, _mutual friend_. Something... pretty serious."

Rebecca's face fell, as she glanced at Jake briefly, before looking toward the gym. "Yeah, of course. But..." She said, clearing her throat as she stepped backwards. "Can it maybe wait 'til after the game?" She asked, looking back at Taylor imploringly. _"Please?"_

"Yeah..." Taylor said, running a hand across the back of his neck awkwardly. "Lets just, enjoy the game." He said, trying to paint an encouraging smile on his face, as Rebecca instantly perked and shook her pom poms at him.

 _"Great!"_ She cheered,moving forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek, beaming between him and her brother. "We're taking on the Greenvale Nutria tonight! Are ya hyped, guys?" She asked, as Jake tipped his hand back and forth, as he grimaced dismissively.

"Best I can do for ya is, _mildly enthused_." He said, shrugging his shoulders as Rebecca scowled and hit him in the shoulder with her pom pom, while Taylor tried to hide a grin. "That work for ya?"

"Jerk." She snarked, scowling petulantly as she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder haughtily.

 _"Brat."_ Jake replied easily, as he grinned crookedly at his sister. She punched him in the shoulder again, before skipping off toward the gym. Jake smiled as he watched her go, rubbing his arm lightly as he shook his head.

"It's good to see her smilin'." He said quietly, his cerulean eyes following his sister as she disappeared through the doors. "When she found out mom was goin' to be at the dance, I thought she was gonna freak out." He said, as he subtly slid his arm around Taylors shoulders and drew him closer. Taylor released a deep, content breath, a tension he hadn't noticed easing from his body as he leaned his head against Jake's chest, a rush of giddy warmth spreading through him as the pilot skimmed his lips lightly against the top of his head. "Hey, you." He murmured quietly, his voice rumbling in his chest beneath Taylors cheek.

"Hey yourself." Taylor hummed, unable to fight back a much more natural smile, as the pilot allowed him to draw back. He chuckled, as the two of them started walking toward the gym.

"So, stupid question..." Jake said, clearing his throat as Taylor glanced up at him. "And, uh, feel free to tell me to shut the hell up, if ya ain't in the mood to talk about it... But, how ya holdin' up?" 

"Oh, you know me, I'm-" Taylor began, though he paused at Jake's knowing sigh, glancing up to find the pilot looking back at him with a brow raised in challenge. "Okay... _Honestly,_ I'm... barely holding it together right now. And I'm just gonna go ahead and say that it is not fair you know me well enough to make me admit that... even if it is kinda cool that you do." He said, looking up as Jake's hand settled on his arm, drawing him to a halt. 

"Tell me." Jake insisted, squeezing his wrist briefly and frowning at Taylors sudden hiss and the way he quickly withdrew his arm.

"Sorry, uh, slept wrong." He coughed, quickly hiding his arm behind his back and running his other hand through his hair, biting his lip when Jake's eyes narrowed at his hidden arm briefly. "I, uh, I feel sick pretty much all the time." He said by way of distraction. "Like, I'm gonna throw up, or just collapse on the ground."

"I'm sorry, Boy Scout, I wanted to get back last night and check on ya," Jake sighed, scrubbing his hand over his stubble guiltily. "But I was stuck on a late shift and I didn't wanna wake ya if ya were sleepin' or-" He continued, frowning at him regretfully.

"No, no!" Taylor said quickly, shaking his head as relief welled in his heart, pleased the pilot hadn't been around for Redfield to torment. "I, uh... Just got an early night anyway. Its fine, honestly. You already did so much for me, you... You don't have to-"

"Shut up, Taylor." Jake huffed, rolling his eyes at his babbling, as Taylor felt his lips twitch in amusement. "But seriously, don't try and handle it all alone... If ya need someone to talk to, or ya feelin' crappy... ya got my number; so damn well use it."

"Heh, thanks, Jake." Taylor chuckled, smiling at the pilots genuine concern despite his best efforts not to. "I-" someone knocked into him from behind, catching his wrist and making Taylor yelp as the cuff brushed his bruise.

Jake's expression darkened, and before Taylor could stop him, he'd reached for Taylors arm and quickly yanked the cuff from his wrist. "What the-" he choked, his eyes widening as he beheld the dark marks from where Redfield had grabbed him. "Taylor." He said firmly, his eyes glittering with fury as he met Taylors gaze, as Taylor squirmed and bit his lip guiltily. "Who did that to ya." He demanded. 

"I..." Taylors heart lurched as he gazed up at Jake's furious and concerned gaze, yearning to tell him everything, but desperately wishing to protect him from Redfield's vengeance.  "I can't tell you." He finally whispered, his voice breaking as his face fell, twisting with grief. "I'm _sorry."_

Jake stared at Taylor hard for several long moments, his clear eyes locked onto Taylors desperate, deep blue gaze as he seemed to struggle with something. Finally, he took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "Taylor, I know somethin's up." He said slowly, his jaw locking briefly before he continued. "Ya don't have to tell me what it is..." He added with obvious reluctance, as his free hand rose to lightly drift his fingers across the lingering bruise on Taylors jaw. "Just, tell me how I can help."

Taylor finally broke free of Jake's intense gaze, looking down at the floor as he gently tugged his injured wrist free of the pilot and cradled it to his chest. "I'm not sure you can..." He said quietly, shivering at the thought of the pilot being hurt by Redfield while trying to help. "I just..." He swallowed thickly, tightly squeezing his eyes closed to prevent himself from releasing the stinging tears locked behind his eyelids. "I feel so powerless sometimes. A _lot_ of the time, actually." He admitted, as Jake gently chafed his arm.

"Well, whaddaya know, Boy Scout..." Jake hummed quietly, his fingers crooking beneath Taylors chin and encouraging him to raise his head. He slowly opened his eyes, to find Jake gazing at him with cocky determination. "That's somethin' I _can_ actually help ya with."

"Yeah?" He snickered tiredly, smiling despite his sombre mood as he looked up at Jake, gently taking his cuff from the man and reattaching it to his wrist. "You have a magic strength potion lying around?" He asked, snorting as he shook his head in fond amusement. "Maybe a radioactive spider?"

"Not exactly, ya cocky little..." Jake huffed, trailing off as his gaze finally softened slightly. "But what I _do_ have is a few years Navy training. Ya know, military grade self defence." He said, rolling his eyes as Taylors eyes widened in surprise, his lips twitching in amusement, before he frowned once more. "I don't know if ya problems are the kind ya can punch... But, I'm kinda hopin' they are so I can pay 'em back for-" he coughed suddenly, grimacing as he forced back whatever he'd been about to say. "Learnin' how to defend myself in the Navy helped me feel stronger, and more in control... It might help ya feel that way too."

"Jake, thankyou, but I don't wanna make you-" Taylor began, only for Jake to silence him by pressing his hand over his mouth with a faint grimace.

"Trust me, ya _ain't._ Ya'd actually be doin' me a huge favour, by not makin' me start actin' like ya damn bodyguard." The pilot said lightly, though Taylor could sense the seriousness behind his playful words, as he gazed up into Jake's clear eyes once again. "So, whaddaya say? We got some time to kill before the game starts. I can show ya a few moves." He said, raising a brow when Taylor cleared his throat and looked away, the corner of his lip rising into a crooked grin when Taylors cheeks coloured slightly.

"Well, I guess... I mean, if it prevents bodyguard Jake from having to come out to play." Taylor said, feigning a pained sigh as Jake rolled his eyes and jabbed at his shoulder playfully. "Besides, I could never turn down the chance to learn some of your... _moves."_ He teased, his mood lightening slightly as he winked exaggeratedly at Jake, who chuckled quietly and shook his head.

"Ya learnin' from the best, so be prepared to take it all in, Boy Scout." The pilot replied, raising a brow when Taylors cheeks stained pink, but choosing not to comment.

"Just, uh... go easy on me, okay?" He asked, clearing his throat as his lips twitched into a lopsided grin. "I'm not sure I could handle 'Top Gun at his peak'." He snickered, expecting Jake to laugh at him.

When the pilot remained noticeably quiet, he looked up to find Jake scrutinizing him with a burning gaze, which stole his breath and made his gut squirm pleasantly. "I think ya'd be surprised what ya could handle... given the opportunity." He said quietly, gazing at him a moment longer before seeming to finally blink himself free of his thoughts. "C'mon, Boy Scout... Let's find somewhere less crowded." He said, glancing at the surging bodies around them, before moving away from the gym.

Taylor bit his lip as he turned to follow, Jake's hand slipping into the hand on his uninjured wrist naturally, and gently tugging him along after him. _And I thought Mr. Red's touch burnt..._ He thought, looking down at his too hot hand, as his cheeks flared with the familiar heat of a blush.

Jake led him to a mostly empty part of the parking lot, glancing around briefly before turning back to Taylor with a small shrug. "Seems like as good a place as any to me." He said, releasing Taylors hand as he began to shrug out of his jacket.

"Okay, just saying, but; this is already turning into the _best_ lesson I've _ever_ had." Taylor said, his eyes busily raking over Jake's torso as he tossed his jacket aside, the contours of his muscles easier to define even through his t-shirt, without the bulky green garment atop it.

"Way to focus there, Boy Scout," Jake snorted, rolling his eyes as Taylor deposited his bag beside Jake's jacket, hesitating as he glanced around to make sure nobody else was around, before removing his cuff and tossing it on top of the pile.

"Okay," he said, clearing his throat awkwardly, as Jake's eyes narrowed at his injured wrist, his jaw noticeably tensing. "So... Where do we start?" He asked curiously, biting his lip as he bounced on his feet slightly.

"If this were a real fight, ya'd wanna start out by lookin' for a weapon." Jake said, as he strolled into a slightly more open area. "But as it's just us, lets start with ya stance. Space ya feet out, 'bout shoulder width... And bend ya knees." He instructed, watching carefully as Taylor looked down at himself and did as he was told.

"Like this?" He asked, as he shifted his feet slightly further apart, bending his knees slightly as he bounced up and down in the balls of his feet a little, before looking back at the pilot.

"Better." Jake said, biting his lip and tipping his head thoughtfully, as he clearly tried not to laugh. "Not great... pretty bad, actually..." He snickered, running a hand through his hair, before clearing his throat and forcing himself to sober. _"Ahem,_ but... better. Just, turn ya hips a bit, so ya not straight on. Smaller target to hit. Like this." He said, stepping closer and putting his hands on Taylors hips.

Taylor forgot how to breath, focusing intently on the warmth of the pilots body before him, and the gentle but firm grip of his hands upon his hips. He swallowed heavily, as Jake turned his body so he was slightly more angled, his focus clearly locked onto his task. "'Kay... How's that feel, Boy Scout?" He asked, as Taylor hummed in his throat.

"Pretty good." He said quickly, his cheeks flushing guiltily as Jake glanced at him, before rolling his eyes and snorting in amusement.

"Ya stance, idiot." He huffed, and Taylor started guiltily, as he cleared his throat and looked down at himself to hide his obvious embarrassment.

"Yeah, that's... what I meant. _Ahem..."_ He said, coughing briefly as he bounced for a moment, before raising his head to look back at Jake. "So, uh, what's next?"

Jake sighed as if pained by Taylors utter naivety, but his playful smirk as he took Taylors hands gently in his own alleviated his fears that the pilot was genuinely frustrated with him. He glanced down as Jake raised his hands til they were up near his chin, his breath quickening as he felt the heat radiate from the pilots skin to his face. "Keep ya hands here to protect ya face." Jake instructed quietly, as Taylor nodded vaguely. "And, make sure to clench ya jaw."

"Huh, why?" Taylor asked, looking up with an amused snort, his concentration utterly lost. "So I get that extra tough veiny forehead look?" He asked, snickering at his own joke.

"Not quite." Jake huffed, shaking his head in amusement. "It's to make it more difficult for ya jaw to break." He explained, as Taylor pouted at him.

"Way less fun than my idea but, whatever." He sniffed disdainfully, as he shrugged his shoulders slightly. "But... I guess that's a pretty good reason too." He said, as Jake rolled his eyes and sighed. 

Once the pilot had Taylors stance perfected to his satisfaction, he moved away to assume the sane position across from him, his eyes lighting with obvious excitement. "Okay. Lookin' good." He said, chuckling at Taylors waving eyebrows and cocky wink. "Now; _hit me."_

"Uh..." Taylor hesitated, glancing around uncertainly before looking back at Jake with obvious confliction. 

"C'mon." Jake insisted, even waggling his fingers toward himself encouragingly. "Throw everythin' ya got at ya opponent. Keep pushin', don't stop and give 'em a chance to recover..."

"Okay..." Taylor hedged, shaking the nervous tension from his shoulders as he broke out in a slow, crooked grin. "Better brace yourself." He warned playfully, as Jake grinned back at him. "I don't wanna toot my own horn," he said leadingly, winking as Jake snorted at his obvious underlying meaning. "But, I'm pretty strong."

"Good." Jake hummed, his eyes darting over Taylor briefly as he tossed his hair from his face. "Show me what ya got, Boy Scout."

Taylor bounced on his feet briefly, hesitating to move forward and attack as his heart stuttered in nervous, excited anticipation. "And you're... sure about this?" Taylor asked, biting his lip as Jake rolled his eyes.

"Taylor, I promise ya, I'll be fine." He snorted, shaking his head at Taylors obvious concern. "I assure ya, I fought way worse and way uglier than you."

"Well, duh, I mean... Let's face it, I'm pretty damn hot, here." Taylor scoffed, tossing imaginary hair over his shoulder as he grinned broadly.

"That ya are." Jake conceded quietly, startling Taylor as he blinked at the pilot in surprise, his cheeks slowly colouring as his gut coiled with pleasure. "But try and focus on the lesson for now, and then think about ya own... _ridiculous_ hotness, later." He said, clearing his throat as the skin beneath his stubble tinted pink briefly. Taylor ducked his head, blinking up at the pilot from under his eyelashes, as pleasant heat poured through his veins. "Now, c'mon Boy Scout... It don't have to be a hard punch, just try to hit me... right here." He added, tapping his left cheek and rolling his eyes at Taylors sound of distress, before he quickly got back into position.

"Okay..." Taylor said quietly, clicking his tongue as he tipped his head briefly. "If you say so!" He said, bouncing on his feet a few times, before rearing back and aiming straight for Jake's cheek. His blow was easily deflected by the pilots left arm, which diverted his fist upwards while Jake struck out with his right hand toward Taylors exposed rubs, tapping the area gently.

"Direct little thing, ain't ya?" He snickered, as Taylor waved his brows at him. "That weren't bad though actually..." He admitted, grinning crookedly as Taylor beamed back at him. "Stick with short jabs, so ya can bring ya hands back in faster." He advised as the two of them reset their positions. He waved his brows and wiggled his fingers at Taylor to encourage him to try again, and with a brief shared grin, the pair continued to spar.

Taylor threw himself into the training, slowly gaining confidence as he settled into his stride, and continued to launch attack after attack, occasionally driving Jake back a step in order to deflect. "That's it!" Jake praised grinning as Taylor picked up his speed and almost grazed the pilots side. "Ya gettin' the hang of it!" He added as he dodged a well placed blow.

"Guess I've got a good teacher." Taylor snickered, surprised to find he was enjoying himself, as he shimmied out of the way of Jake's counterattack.

Jake chuckled, his clear eyes lit with encouragement and pride as Taylor continued to lunge and jab at him. He spun out of the way as Taylor threw another punch, flashing a cocky grin and throwing Taylor a wink. "Maybe one day ya'll be as good as _me..."_

Taylor huffed and rolled his eyes, before breaking into a sly grin. "I'd rather be as good as _that guy..."_ He said, pointing behind Jake. The pilot frowned as he turned to look, and Taylor grinned as he wound back his arm and landed a light punch square on his jaw. "Gotcha, Top Gun." He snickered, as Jake stared at him in surprise. 

"That don't count, you _cheated!"_ Jake groused, though a wide grin slowly stretched across his face. He chuckled, rubbing his hand across his stubbled jaw briefly, as he shok his head and sighed.

 _"Awww..."_ Taylor cooed, stepping closer and raising a brow as he tentatively brushed his fingers over the area he'd jabbed. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?" He asked, biting his lip as Jake's cerulean eyes rose to meet his playful, curious and even hopeful gaze.

"Well, I mean..." He huffed, pretending to consider for a moment as he glanced away, his lips twitching with amusement as he cocked his head thoughtfully. "It couldn't _hurt,_ right?" He said, looking back at Taylor with a grin.

Taylor fought and failed to contain a grin, as he leaned in close and pressed a gentle kiss to Jake's jaw. The pilot's arm curved about his waist, holding him close as he then pressed a light kiss to the pilots cheek. He drew back briefly, his eyes flicking up to meet Jake's, before he leaned close once more and brushed his lips over the pilots. "... Better?" He murmured, his fingers curling into Jake's t-shirt as he remained close, barely a breath of distance between them.

"I dunno, I think that last one needs a little more work..." Jake muttered, the hand at Taylors back curling slightly as he tugged him closer and met his lips in a hungry kiss which made Taylor hum with desire and delight combined, as he arched closer within the pilots hold. He groaned as Jake devoured his every breathy whimper and groan, relishing the fierce but gentle touch of the pilots lips against his own.

When at last Jake released him, although not enough to fully retreat from him, Taylor grinned and bit his lip. "So... better _now..?"_ He asked, giggling when Jake huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Much." He replied, chuckling as he shook his head lightly. "Everything but my ego that is. I can't believe ya got the jump on me like that..." He admitted ruefully, gazing down at Taylor fondly.

"Never underestimate the element of surprise." Taylor snickered, biting his lip as he smoothed out Jake's t-shirt, before he peeked up at him with a cheeky grin. "I'm kind of surprised it worked to be honest... You being the military trained hero that you are."

"Heh, don't go gettin' cocky." Jake huffed, batting his chin playfully with his fist. "Next time I'll have ya ass."

"Promise?" Taylor asked, raising a brow and startling a laugh from Jake, as he shook his head and grinned down at him.

 _"Ahem..."_ He coughed, clearing his throat and pointedly avoiding giving Taylor an answer, though the pink skin beneath his stubble gave Taylor hope. "Well, I guess that's as good a lesson as any to leave our trainin'." 

"Wait, that's all there is to it?" Taylor asked, his eyes widening in surprise as Jake snorted and finally released his waist, stepping away to collect his jacket and Taylors bag.

"Nah, nowhere near. But I'd say ya got a decent handle on the basics." He said dismissively, as he handed Taylor his bag and shrugged into his jacket. "Besides, I feel better knowing ya can _clearly_ handle yaself."

"Well, thanks for doing this anyway..." Taylor said, slinging his bag to his shoulder. "I feel like I could... I don't know, punch a bear." He snickered, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I'd avoid any bears for the near future." He advised, shaking his head at Taylors feigned fierce expression. "Now, c'mon... Games about to start." He said, tipping his head back towards the gym. He said, as Taylor sighed and pouted, reluctantly turning away. Jake slung his arm around Taylors shoulders, grinning down at him as he led him back to the gym; and for the entire walk, Taylors heart was light with the memory of the pilots kiss.

As they entered the gym, Taylors felt his cheeks flush, sensing eyes turn his way as he and Jake found themselves seats together, the pilots arm never leaving his shoulders until they were seated. He peeked at Jake, who winked and flashed him a dazzling grin, before they both began to laugh quietly, imagining the whispers and wild speculations they'd be subjected to before the end of the game. They cheered and applauded as the basketball team drifted onto the court, but Taylors joy soon melted to concern, when he noticed Sean's obvious distraction.

"Ya friend doin' alright?" Jake murmured quietly, his clear eyes sharp as he too followed Sean about the court throughout the first quarter, his movements just a second too slow for his environment.

"I don't know... I thought he would be stoked to be back out there after last time, but..." Taylor shook his head, worrying his lip as his mind began to churn with thoughts of Redfield, concerned that his friend might have somehow been affected by the beings power.

"Hey, Steve Rogers is a smart guy..." Jake said quietly, discreetly reaching down to squeeze Taylors hand. "I'm sure its just nerves." He said, as Taylor clutched at his hand almost desperately.

"I hope so..." Taylor murmured, looking down at their hands as Jake laced their fingers together, his lips twitching with the faintest hint of a smile as he glanced at the pilot. "... Thanks." He said gratefully, squeezing Jake's hand again, before looking back at the court, just in time to see Sean pivot and pass the ball to Tom, narrowly preventing a Greenvale player from knocking the ball from his grip. He glanced upwards, as the buzzer signalled the end of the first quarter, before looking back at the players. He saw Sean searching the crowd, and smiled when he heard his friends erupt into loud cheers from a few seats away.

"You can do it, Sean!" Quinn cried, bouncing up from her seat and clapping enthusiastically. 

"C'mon, Gayle!" Jake called, as Taylor glanced sideways and raised a brow at him. "... I got twenty bucks ridin' on this game." He admitted with a lopsided grin, as Taylor snorted and shook his head fondly.

 _"Awwwoooooo!"_ Rebecca cheered, as she and the other cheerleaders tried to encourage the team.

"Yay, sports." Zahra drawled unenthusiastically, though Taylor supposed it spoke volumes of her true feelings, that she bothered to cheer at all.

" _Go Gayle! Give 'em Hayle_!" He called, grinning widely as he clapped and cheered to Sean encouragingly. "You've got this!" He yelled, as Sean seemed to shake himself out of whatever had been bothering, throwing a thumbs up at him, before getting into position for the second quarter. "God, I hope he has this..." Taylor muttered beneath his breath, gnawing his lip gently as he watched the second quarter pass by in a blur of fancy footwork and bouncing balls. 

When the halftime buzzer sounded, Taylor wasn't sure who was more relieved; himself, or the team. He watched as they jogged to the benches, while the cheer squad started their dance routine. " _Come on, Wolves! Lets hear ya howl!"_ Rebecca cheered, as Taylor frowned, watching the team sit in obvious dejection; one member even attempting to sneak out, before Sean called him back and began to talk to them with urgent motions of his hands. _I hope you knock some sense into them, Sean_... He thought. 

A pleased smile slowly crept across Taylors face as the team noticeably perked, jumping up to cheer together loudly. " _Go Wolves_!" He whooped and clapped, as Rebecca and the cheer squad finished their routine, watching the team jog back out onto the court.

"Think ya friend managed to whack some team spirit back into 'em." Jake said, gesturing with his chin towards the team as the second half began. Taylor hummed in agreement, flashing Jake a bright smile as the team scored a few points, slowly closing the gap until only one basket would allow them to pull ahead.

"Looks like you might win that bet after all, Top Gun." He said, grinning as one of the team members passed to Tom, who dribbled towards the basket.

"Never count ya opponent down, until they can't get back up again..." Jake said, as Taylor glanced over and raised a brow at him, the pilot chuckling as he shook his head. "Didn't sound half so wise out loud." He admitted with a wry grin, as Taylor snickered at him, turning back to the game to watch Tom dodge past a Greenvale defender and line up his shot.

 _"Wha-augh!"_  

Taylor shot to his feet at Tom's pained cry and sudden jerk, his eyes widening as he dropped the ball and began to swipe frantically at his shoulder. "What the _hell?!"_ Sean yelled, rushing closer to his friend, but skirting around something on the floor. "Someone's pet tarantula get loose?!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, a Greenvale player swooped in to grab the ball, but then recoiled suddenly; the game coming to a screeching halt as players backed away from the center of the court. Taylor flinched as shouts began to ring out from the bleachers, Jake's hand squeezing his as he shot to his feet at the sound of Rebecca's scream. _"Eeeeek!_ It's in my hair!"

"It's okay!" Taylor called, hopping over a newly vacated seat, as people began to flood away from the bleachers quickly. "I got it!" He said, as he brushed a huge spider from her hair and tossed it away.

"Look out!" Quinn cried, her eyes wide as she pointed at another seat nearby. "There's another one!" She yelped, shaking her head as one landed in her own hair.

"Where the devil are these blasted things... _coming from?!"_ Aleister demanded, growling as he fought to swipe them from his jumper and keep them away from his friends.

"Guys..." Zahra said, her voice uncharacteristically trembling, as she stared above then with wide eyes and pointed to the ceiling. "Look up."

Dread filled Taylors hollow stomach, as he slowly lifted his gaze, looking up to see a dark hole in the ceiling and hundreds of spiders crawling out of it. "Oh crap..." He murmured, as the gym dissolved into chaos around them. Spectators and players alike, scrambled for the door, as spider flooded down the walls. His gaze returned to Sean, who was staring at Tom in obvious horror, as his friend clutched the side of his neck. 

 _"Tom!"_ Sean cried, rushing forward suddenly as the basketball player swayed on his feet, stumbling towards the bleachers. As Tom collapsed to the floor, Sean managed to make it to his side, and grabbed his shoulder.

"Oh no... No... _Not again,_ no..." Taylor muttered, his heart racing as panic churned in his gut like nausea, his breath quickening as he watched the devastation which had been unleashed upon the gym. 

"Taylor..." The sound of his voice barely registered in his ears, as his eyes darted around the room, fear clogging his throat like cement. "Godammit, Boy Scout, _look_ _at me_!" Jake's irste roar made him wince, and he gasped as he blinked and turned to the pilot, who's concerned gaze swept over him worriedly. "What the hell-"

" _All my fault_..." Taylor murmured almost inaudibly, swallowing as he looked down at the court, where Sean was trying to keep his friend conscious. Tom's head drooped, and Sean searched the gym quickly, now nearly devoid of people; but filled with a sea of scuttling spiders, which were headed the sports stars way. "We have to help Sean... He needs to get Tom outta here." He said louder, preventing Jake from asking anything about his comment, though his frown revealed there would certainly be words to be shared later.

"Not sure he needs our help..." Jake said quietly, pulling Taylor close to keep him away from the spiders, as his sister and their friends fought off spiders as best they could. He tipped his chin towards Sean, and Taylor looked over to see his friend had found a lighter and was popping the top from a can of hairspray. 

"Oh... wow." Taylor breathed, his eyes widening as his friend flicked over the lighter and struck a tiny flame. "Uh, we should probably... _move!"_ He said, as Sean scowled and aimed into the thick of the spiders, spraying a plume of blue-orange flame as them as he combined the hairspray with the naked flame of the lighter.

"Yeah!" The sports star cried, his voice booming through the gym. _"Get some!"_ He yelled, as unnatural hissing filled the air, causing Taylor to wince and cover his ears, attempting to shy away from the carnage around him. 

Taylor panted heavily, looking to Sean's left as a spider launched itself from the wall, aiming for his face. "Sean, your left!" He cried, kicking aside a large spider which scuttled closer to where he and Jake stood back to back, fending off spiders from both sides. He looked over to see his friends swing his flamethrower around, toasting the spider in mid-air. Taylor breathed a sigh of relief as it fell to the ground, it's legs twitching as it continued to burn.

"Jake! Lets try and move towards Sean! The spiders are thinning!" He called over his shoulder, glancing back to see Jake nod in agreement. He looked back as they began to try and stomp, kick and swipe their way off the bleachers, continually glancing up to where the spiders had begun to flee Sean's fiery wrath; only the largest continuing to advance on him, their fangs bared.

"You want some too?" He heard Sean growl, blasting a spider with a burst of flame. "Happy to oblige..." He said, toasting three more spiders to his right. "Hasta la vista, spider!" He said, shooting a plume of fire at another spider, only for it to dodge. "Aw, hell no!" He growled, aiming and firing again, only for the spider to dodge again. Taylor continued to glance at his friend, watching as the spider evaded his every attack, always staying just a little ahead of the flames. _"Fine,_ you wanna play like that..." Sean finally growled, aiming a burst of fire to the spiders left. It dodged right, and Taylor hiccupped a giggle, as Sean stomped it flat for its efforts. "Then I'm changing the rules!"

Taylor yelped, a sound of disgust leaving his throat as a spider scuttled forward with unnatural speed, crawling onto his shoe. "Urgh! I do not think so, buddy! I am _so_ not into you!" He groused, reflexively jerking his foot and launching the spider into the air. It landed on its back with a heavy thump, and Taylor quickly stepped on it to finish it off.

"Ya doin' alright, Boy Scout?" Jake asked, brutally stomping on anything which came within range of him. Taylor nodded, humming in vague assent as he watched a spider rear up on its hind legs, waving its front two at Sean menacingly.

"Ooh, scary." Sean chuckled, before hitting the spiders belly with a jet of flame, blasting it off its feet. "I'm _scarier."_ Breathing heavily, Taylor sagged in relief, as his friend looked around himself and slowly lowered his weapon. He glanced around himself, still stomping on the spiders which were anywhere in range. All around, spiders were retreating out of doors and windows, leaving only the squished or charred corpses behind. "That'll teach you not to bite my best friend." Sean growled, stooping to sling Tom over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and backing away to the door. "Taylor! C'mon!" He called, as he carried Tom out of the gym and into the cold night air.

"Okay, Top Gun... If we jump from that row, we should be able to make it to the doors." Taylor panted, grabbing Jake's hand and tugging him to the bench he'd indicated. Without giving the pilot a chance to pause, he launched forward, landing amid the carcasses of spiders which Sean had left in his wake. "C'mon!" He cried, pulling Jake along with him as they fled with the few remaining people in the gym.

Outside however, they were quickly caught up in a panicked mob, forcing their hands to separate suddenly and sweeping them in opposite directions. _"Jake!"_ Taylor cried, desperately trying to see where the man had been dragged away to, but the writhing mass of bodies was too thick to see past. "Aleister?! Rebecca?!" He called, trying to shove his way free of the squirming masses. _"Anyone?!"_ He cried, gasping when he heard Rebecca call back to him at last.

"Taylor!" She yelled, as he narrowed his eyes, barely able to make out a waving arm at the edge of the shoving and pushing bodies surrounding him. "Over here!"

Taylor grunted as someone stepped on his foot, gritting his teeth as he began to shove the crowd away from him, shimmying his way to the edge of the crowd and finally bursting free. He shook his head, and hurried away to where Rebecca, Jake and Sean were huddled around an unconscious Tom. "Oh no..."

"Looks like he's been bit a few times." Jake said, rising to his feet and moving closer to Taylor, his fingers ghosting over his jaw briefly in obvious relief. "Malfoy's callin' an ambulance."

"Come on, Tom... say something!" Sean pleaded, his hand resting lightly on his friends shoulder as he gazed down at him imploringly. "... _wake up..."_ He pleaded brokenly.

"Sean..." Taylor said, swallowing thickly as grief gripped his heart, moving around Jake to approach his friend. "This... this is all my fault. I'm so, _so_ sorry..." He said, his hand rising to his mouth as he felt bile pool at the back of his throat, his breath quickening as grief and guilt struck him hard.

"No, this has to be Mr. Red's doing..." Sean said, shaking his head as he looked up at Taylor in surprise, his eyes widening at the broken expression Taylor wore. "Why would it be _your_ fault?"

"Because earlier..." Taylor began, pausing as shame and guilt gnawed at his hollow stomach. "I told him to stop giving us gifts. I... made him angry." He admitted, as Sean recoiled from him.

"Wait, what?" He turned at Jake's confused tone, turning to see the pilot frowning at them in confusion. "Who the _hell_ is Mr. Red?"

"Uh-" Taylor choked, cutting off as the noise from the crowd rose suddenly, and he heard a familiar shout ring out above the commotion.

"Back off!" Zahra yelled, as Taylor and the others exchanged nervous glances. "I had nothing to do with this, you _freaks!"_ She growled, as Taylors heart lurched fearfully.

"Oh no..." Rebecca choked, her eyes wide as she eyed the crowd nervously. "Not again!"

"Stay here." Taylor muttered, quickly dodging around Jake as he reached for him and hurrying to the crowd; following Zahra's shouts to find a group of several students surrounding her, shoving her from the crowd.

"Guys, be careful!" Michelle warned, carefully avoiding the commotion, though she watched from the sidelines with wide eyes. "Don't forget what she did to Estela..!"

"You idiots see about to see it first-goddamn-hand..." Zahra snarled mutinously, raising her hands toward the crowd.

"Zahra, _stop!"_ He pleaded, as the girls eyes widened in confusion, when nothing happened. Emboldened, two students grabbed hold of Zahra's arms, dragging her toward the school.

"Get your hands off of me, you filthy muggles!" Zahra snarled, scowling between the lair restraining her murderously and struggling against their hold.

 _"Hey!"_ Taylor yelled, causing them to pause as he raced after them. "Let _go_ of her!" He growled, grabbing one by the arm and hitting the guy with a short jab to the face. He tried to punch back, but Taylor easily blocked the shot. "I said... _let her go_." He said firmly, glaring as the guy dropped Zahra ti come after him.

With her arm freed, Zahra was able to slug her other captor in the gut, dropping him instantly. "You _ever_ touch me again, you'd better be ready to lose some teeth." She promised darkly, visibly shaking as she turned away from the school.

"Where is she goin'?" Rebecca demanded, rushing up to Taylors side, as he dodged and then counter attacked the guy who had abandoned Zahra to come after him.

"Zahra!" He called, finally sending the guy running with a bloodied nose. _"Wait!"_ He yelled, as he and Rebecca chased after her. When they finally caught up to her, Zahra was sitting at the side of the road, her head resting on her knees.

"They're gone..." She muttered, shaking her head slowly. "My powers are gone." She said, raising her head to look up at Taylor, a vaguely dazed, lost look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I saw..." He said quietly, swallowing heavily as guilt welled in his gut, his eyes stinging from the intense grief he felt for his friends loss. "Zahra... I'm _really_ sorry."

"You say that like you had something to do with it." Zahra growled, her expression hardening as she looked up at him in rising suspicion.

"Taylor..." Rebecca said, resting her hand on his arm as he turned towards her, her gaze heavy with concern and fear. "What was it you said earlier? About makin' Mr. Red _mad?"_

"It's not like I _meant_ to!" Taylor burst, spreading his palms as he exhaled sharply. "I just... I told him he had to stop hurting people for us!" He said, scratching the back of his neck guiltily.

"And you didn't think, maybe you oughtta _warn_ us about that?!" Rebecca demanded, her concerned expression morphing into a furious scowl.

"Hey, I _tried_ to tell you before the game! _You_ didn't wanna hear it! _Nobody ever_ _wants to hear it!"_ He defended, his temper flaring at her accusatory tone.

"So, let me get this straight..." Zahra said slowly, getting to her feet and glaring at him, as he flinched and took a guilty step back. "There's this super powerful, _homicidal_ shadow monster, who knows where we live and everything we do..." She growled, her voice rising in her mounting fury. "And you thought it wiykd be a good idea to _piss him off?!"_

"What should I have done?!" Taylor yelled, tears of guilt, frustration and grief welling in his eyes and slowly trickling over his cheeks. "He almost _killed_ someone; _again!_ In _my_ front yard!" He cried, his voice trembling, shaking with desperation as he clawed off his cuff and raised his injured wrist for them both to see. "I didn't exactly get away unscathed, ya know?! Forgive me for thinking maybe I had already paid the price for my mistake this time! That maybe, just _maybe_ I would get to warn you all; but that it wouldn't be necessary! Maybe..." He choked, shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair, Zahra and Rebecca watching the motion in horror as they stared at his wrist. "Maybe I should've never made it out of those woods..."

"Cool," Zahra scoffed, recovering from the shock of his injured wrist and nodding sarcastically, as she spread her palms and narrowed her eyes at him. "So, what's your plan for when _I_  almost get impaled on a tree? Or Becca? Or-" Zahra demanded, stopping suddenly as she clapped a hand over her mouth as she stared over Taylors shoulder in horror.

Taylors heart seemed to stop in his chest, desperately wishing he didn't already know what she'd seen. Slowly, he turned; and felt several pieces of his heart seem to chip away, as he saw Jake standing in the road behind him.

"What..." He frowned, glancing at his sister, as she covered her mouth with her hands. He swallowed heavily, slowly looking back at Taylor. "What did ya just say?"

"This... this isn't what it sounds like, Jake..." Taylor hedged, wincing at the sound of his weak protests.

"Really?" Jake scoffed, running a hand through his hair as he examined him, as if seeing him for the first time. "'Cause it sounds an awful lot like..." He paused, shaking his head in obvious distress and confusion, as Taylors heart shattered to tiny shards in his chest. "Taylor, did ya... Were ya _involved_ in what happened to Craig?"

"Jake, I swear, if you try and tell me ya _actually_ believe that, I'm gonna beat ya with a damn stick!" Rebecca snarled, glaring at her brother furiously. "He didn't do anything, he was at the party! Ya know that!"

"Ya don't have to do a thing yaself, to be involved." Jake muttered, though he sighed as he sheepishly accepted the point. He looked over at Taylor with a concerned frown, shaking his head slowly as he took a step closer and raised a hand toward him. "Then... what the _hell_ is goin' on?"

"It's... complicated." Taylor choked, his hands curling into balls at his side, as his heart stuttered and withered in his chest. He looked down at the ground, hiding the grief and longing in his eyes, as he took a reluctant step back. "I'm sorry, it's just... Not safe for you to be involved."

"Did Tom know about all this?" Jake demanded, his tone hard as Taylor averted his gaze to the side, desperate to avoid seeing the pilots clear eyes so filled with fury and hurt at his rejection. "Because he seemed _real_ safe when they loaded him into the ambulance just now." He snarked, as Taylor flinched and wrapped his arms around himself, his shoulders hunching as he shrank in on himself.

"Look, Taylor..." Jake sighed, clearly making an effort to reign in his temper and attempting to appeal to him once more. "I knew there was somethin' goin' on with y'all... I figured it was just personal stuff. Not my business." He said, and Taylor reluctantly looked up, his cheeks wet from his tears as he saw Jake's feet step up before him. His eyes met Jake's, the pilots gaze heavy with concern, hurt and confusion. "But now I hear ya talkin' about a 'shadow monster' who's tryin' to kill people, and some guy called 'Mr. Red'..." He said, shaking his head as he almost reached for Taylors jaw, before lowering his hand and swallowing thickly. "I thought we _had somethin'_ Boy Scout..." He whispered imploringly, his eyes intent as he held Taylors gaze. "Why would ya hide this from me? After _everythin'-"_ he trailed off, glancing at Rebecca's confused and concerned expression, as her eyes darted between them worriedly.

"Jake..." Taylor murmured brokenly, desperately yearning to tell the pilot everything. However, as he opened his mouth, he recalled the scene in the gym; the panic, the chaos and the danger, and his throat constricted painfully, as he hardened his gaze and forced himself to say the words which utterly destroyed his heart. "This doesn't concern you." He whispered, forcing himself to maintain a stoic expression, as Jake's jaw tightened in anger.

 _"Fine."_ Jake said curtly, stepping back from him as his cerulean eyes turned hard. "But I ain't lettin' ya drag my sister into whatever this is." He said, as Taylors fingers curled tighter into his mesh sleeves, ripping the fabric without even noticing. "Becca, let's-"

"Hey! I didn't get _dragged into_ anythin'!" Rebecca growled, glaring at her brother furiously. "I'm just as responsible as Taylor."

"Becca-" Jake began, his eyes wide as he turned to his sister in surprise, shaking his head as he looked her over.

"I ain't some baby, Jake!" She cried, glancing worriedly at Taylor, who continued to gaze at Jake in obvious distress. "I don't need my big brother to come rushin' back from the military to save me! I can solve my own damn problems!"

Jake took another step back, looking hurt for a moment, before his expression quickly morphed into a scowl. "Guess I'll get outta ya face then. Hell, why not just get outta town, seein' as ya clearly don't need _me_ anymore." He snarked, looking at Taylors stoic expression once more, before stuffing his hands into his pockets and turning his back on him.

"Jake, don't be such a damn drama-" Rebecca called, rolling her eyes at her brothers back as he walked down the dark road.

"You should go after him." Taylor said quietly, watching Jake move slowly further away from him, his heart lurching painfully with the pilots every step. "He loves you, he just wants you to be safe..."

 _"You_ should go after him." Rebecca snarked, though her gaze was concerned as she turned to look at Taylor. "He really, _really_ cares about ya, Taylor... and I _know_ ya care about him too. Go and tell him the truth, he'll understand, hell maybe he can even help-"

"I _can't."_ Taylor said, shaking his head as he watched the pilot slowly vanish into the night. "I'm not about to put him onto Mr. Red's radar. It's safer for him... if he doesn't..." Taylor trailed off, sinking to his knees as he felt a wave of exhaustion sweep through him suddenly.

"Taylor-" Rebecca called worriedly, as Taylors shoulders began to hitch, his breath catching as he tried and failed to fight off the sobs which wracked his chest.

 _Jake..._ Taylor thought as he choked harshly, burying his face in his hands, as he suddenly felt overwhelmed and ebtirely consumed by guilt, exhaustion and hopelessness; reminding himself that he was once again, alone. "I just can't do anything right, can I?" He choked, trying and failing to contain his grief as his heart bled from the open wound of the pilots departure.  _And now... I've lost Jake too..._ He thought as his chest hitched, his tears pouring through his fingers; when he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him tentatively.

"Don't... tell anyone I said this but..." Zahra said awkwardly, her chin resting on his shoulder lightly. "I'm... I'm _sorry,_ Taylor."

"Me too..." Rebecca said softly, her forehead resting against the back of his hand as she rubbed his arm gently. "For yellin' at ya and... and for not helpin', when I should've." She said, shaking her head minutely. "Raj was right all along. This is only gonna get worse, until we find a way to stop it."

"What if we can't?" Taylor choked, swallowing thickly as he tried to trample the overwhelming sense of loss which he felt. "What if _you_ were right, and this is just too big for us? And now I've pissed him off... Everyone he hurts; Craig, Tom... It's all my fault..." He said, gagging on his own despair.

"Ugh, don't make _me_ say it." Zahra groaned beside him, drawing Taylor from his grief momentarily.

"... Say what?" He asked, sniffing as he lowered his hands slightly, looking at her hesitantly. 

Zahra sighed, letting go and pulling Taylor to his feet with Rebecca's help. "I _believe_ in us, Taylor." She said, grimacing at the optimistic words. "We're gonna figure this out, and we're gonna make it right. Because..." She paused, floundering for a moment as she flushed a faint shade of pink. "Friendship? I guess..?"

"Because friendship." Rebecca chuckled, laying her head on Taylors shoulder and holding him close, as she smiled at Zahra and curled around Taylors arm. "So, sleepover at Taylors house?" She asked, as Zahra rolled her eyes, but a faint smile twitched to life upon her lips, as she took Taylors other arm. 

"Definitely." She saud, flashing a teasing smirk at Taylor. "But I'm totally only in it for the kitty time." She said, laughing with Rebecca quietly at Taylors surprised huff. Taylor felt his aching heart swell with gratitude, clutching at each of their hands almost desperately; as together, the three of them continued down the road, side by side.


	13. I'm Not Scared; Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have split this one again, not entirely sute its worth it but otherwise i wont be updating for ages because im crap atm and not writkng anywhere near as much as i would like.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy; sorry its not the best
> 
> x My love to you all x

**13.**

**I'm Not Scared; Part One.**

_Ten years ago._..

Taylors friends followed him late one night, as he eagerly led the way down a dark, winding staircase below Mr. Red's house. "Jeez, how deep do these stairs _go?!"_ He wondered aloud, his eager feet hurrying down the stairs.

"Taylor, wait up!" Diego called, sounding concerned about his noticeable lead in the darkness surrounding them all.

"I can barely see a thing in this confounded darkness..." Aleister complained, his haughty tone trembling slightly with the first touches of fear. "Why exactly did none of you think to bring a flashlight?"

"Why didn't _you?"_ Sean countered,his chuckle of amusement echoing through the darkness as Aleister sniffed and chose not to answer.

"Does anybody hear water?" Quinn asked quietly, though they could all hear her easily in the confined space.

Taylor rolled his eyes as his friends continued to bicker, a wave of cold air greeting him as he proceeded downward quickly, where the staircase opened out into a vast underground chamber. His eyes widening as he looked around, able to see by an unnatural but strangely beautiful glow. "Guys, come see!" He called excitedly, bouncing on his feet as he waited impatiently for his friends to catch up.

"Holy _crow..."_ Sean whistled, looking around in awe as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "It's a cave!"

 _"Cooool..!"_ Zahra exclaimed, jumping the last three steps and landing in a puff of dust beside Taylor.

 _"Whoa..."_ He gasped, his words echoing distantly over pools of still, dark water. He glanced across the bottom of his staircase as his friends lined up, barely catching the shudder which passed over Rebecca .

 _"Brrr!"_ She chattered, rubbing her arms with her hands. "It's _freezin'_ down here..." She said, looking around with an uncertain frown, clearly uneasy.

"Where's Mr. Red?" Asked Raj's cousin, as the pair joined them. As if summoned by their query, a billowing shadow swept into view.

 _"Here."_ Redfield rasped, his blazing eyes wide within the darkness, as if surprised they had truly kept their promise to come to join him.

 _"Aaah!"_ Quinn gasped, clutching at Rebecca's hand as she dodged around her to hide from the beings view.

"Mr. Red..." Taylor called, stepping forward with a smile. "We're here to play!" He said, smiling when the shadowy figure seemed to eradiate with pleasure.

" _Yessss! Play_!" Redfield cheered, seeming to shimmer and flicker faintly as he led them deeper into the cave.

"Aw." Rebecca cooed, seeming to relax for the first time as she caught up to Taylors eager lead through the cavern. "He made us a little clubhouse!"

"See?" Zahra crowed, dashing over and examining the says which had obviously been set up for them. "I told you guys coming here at night would be _awesome!"_

"So..." Diego said, glancing around the others uncertainly. "What do we do now?" He asked, seeming lost as to how to proceed, now that they were finally in Mr. Reds house.

"We-" Raj's cousin began, before clearing their throat and starting again. "I mean, I have an idea." They said imperiously, storming past Taylor to stand in the middle of the circle of chairs. "Mr. Red... do you want to play a game?" Redfield's eyes flashed and blazed, his happiness apparent in the way his shadowy body seemed to flicker. "I think that's a yes." Raj's cousin whispered to the others, giggling happily as they clasped their hands behind their back.

"Okay..." Taylor said, looking around the cave with a soft smile. "What game should we play?" He asked, shivering suddenly as a cold wind swept over him.

Redfield's flaming eyes seemed to both dull and intensify, becoming two bright beacons in the darkness. _"Are... You... Scared..?"_ He whispered, and Taylor frowned at the strange uneasiness which sparked in his stomach.

"Pardon?" Aleister scoffed, raising a brow as he folded his arms over his chest. "Is that supposed to be a question, a suggestion or a game?"

"Oh!" Rebecca cried, brightening as she seemed to recognise the game. "My brother and his friends played that at our Halloween party last year!"

"Jake does fun stuff like play games?" Diego asked, snickering when Rebecca playfully jabbed his arm in response. "What? Normally he's just out being... _Jake."_ He added weakly, grinning at Rebecca as she rolled her eyes.

"I... wish I could deny that." Rebecca conceded, as she sighed and shook her head. "My brothers just... _active."_ She hedged in his vague defense, as Taylor snickered behind his hand.

"So... Anyway." Sean said, clearing his throat as he looked over at Rebecca. "How do you play?" He asked. As Rebecca began to explain the rules, Taylor frowned; glancing toward Redfield as he seemed to grow darker, almost as if light could no longer touch him.

"... and if everyone get's scared, the monster wins!" Rebecca said, as Taylor blinked and shook his head, turning back to her as his brow furrowed further. "Then, they get to pick the monster for the next round."

"That sounds kinda scary, guys..." Quinn said quietly, biting her lip as she frowned around the group. "Are we... are we even _allowed_ to play that?"

"Who's gonna stop us?" Zahra asked, skipping around the available seats with an excited grin. "I mean, we already did a buncha stuff we're not allowed anyway, I don't think playing a scary game is gonna-"

"I don't know..." Taylor said, his stomach churning with something like nausea, his elation to be in Redfield's house slowly contorting into a flicker of uncertainty.

"Come on." Raj's cousin sighed, as if Taylor were being deliberately difficult. "This is the whole reason we came here." They reminded them all, looking around with a fond smile. "To play with Mr. Red! We have to play at least one round..." They said, rolling their eyes toward Taylor with a malicious grin. "Unless you're _scared,_ Taylor?"

Taylor looked around the cave, his earlier joy and fascination fading, replaced by concern and rapidly growing fear. "... This is a bad idea." He said distantly, his eyes searching the cave roof.

"Sounds like something a chicken would say!" Zahra laughed, beginning to flap her arms and click like like a hen.

"I think we should go back..." He said, frowning as a shiver passed over his spine, his heart spiking in nervous anticipation of something. "If my parents find out we've snuck off-"

Zahra continued to flap her arms, clucking louder to drown out Taylors warnings. "Taylors a chicken!" She chanted, as Taylors fear melted into irritation. "Taylors a chicken!"

"Shut _up!"_ He yelled back, glaring at her as he balled his hands into fists at his sides. "I'm _not_ a chicken!"

"Then _prove_ it." Zahra said smugly, smirking as she gestured around the small circle of seats.

 _"Fine."_ Taylor grit out, his temper swaying him as he stomped over to the circle, and everyone took a seat.

"Oh, guys, wait a minute..." Diego said, his eyes wide as he looked around at them all where they sat. "Who's gonna be the monster?"

The shadows pulsed, as Redfield sank back into the darkness. " _Time to play_..." He rasped deeply, and Taylor shivered at the returning sense of unease in his gut.

"Did..." Aleister coughed, clearing his throat as he looked around with obvious growing distress. "Did it just become colder?"

"This is creepy, doodlejumps..." Raj murmured, looking around the cave nervously. "I think Taylor was right..." He said, grimacing at the uncomfortable atmosphere which they could all feel building around them.

"Mr. Red?" Quinn asked curiously, tilting her head as she peered at the darkness where Redfield remained barely distinguishable among the shadows. "Are _you_ going to be the monster?"

 _"Yesss..."_ Redfield hissed lowly, his eyes piercing through the darkness like lamps, as he began to stall the outside of the circle.

 _"Ooooh,_ this is gonna be _good!"_ Zahra muttered, shivering in anticipation as she grinned around them all.

"I-I believe... I've had a change of heart." Aleister said, his eyes wide as he watched Redfield prowl around them. "I do _not_ wish to play anymore."

"... Me neither." Quinn agreed, her eyes distrustful as she glanced over at Redfield, before looking toward Taylor.

"H-hey, guys..." Rebecca stammered, struggling on her chair as if straining against invisible bonds. "I... I can't stand up!" She said, her eyes wide as she looked at Taylor desperately.

"Yeah, those are the rules." Zahra scoffed, smirking expectantly as she watched Redfield continue to circle and study them.

 _"No!"_ Rebecca cried, her struggling intensifying as panic clearly took hold of her. "I mean, I _can't_ stand up!" Her knuckles clenched white, as she fought to escape, the pitch of her voice rising to a shriek as her fear escalated _. "I can't move_!"

"What the _heck?!"_ Diego cried, as he tried to rock himself side to side. However, despite his obvious efforts there was little movement below his waist; his lower body seeming as if it were glued to his seat like a magnet.

"I can't get up either..." Taylor admitted nervously, his heart racing as he looked around his friends, suddenly terrified of his own unnatural eagerness to bring them to such an ominous place.

Redfield continued to circle, as they all struggled. When he next spoke, his voice was different to the one which Taylor remembered. Stranger. Darker. _"Children..."_ He seemed to growl, the cave seeming almost to rattle with the force of his words. " _Are you scared_?"

"Mr. Red!" Taylor yelled, his concern for his friends overwhelming him, filling him with dread and panic as he watched them struggle against the invisible bonds which kept them bound to the chair. "This isn't nice!"

 _"Nice?"_ Redfield rasped, a cackle splitting through the cavern, cold and cruel, and mocking. " _Finally... it is time_." Redfield said, his deep and rasping voice seeming almost wistful. _"Time... to play_..." His whispers echoed off the cavern walls, and Taylor started when two black claws clamped down on Diego's shoulder beside him. " _Are you scared_?!" Redfield roared, his shadowy form flaring with flames suddenly, revealing a gruesome and cruel grin of fire.

 _"Aaahhh!"_ Diego cried, his eyes wide as he panted and gasped for breath, clearly terrified of the being which held him.

 _"Dead."_ Redfield growled furiously, and Taylor cried out in shock as Diego gasped; and was sucked back into the darkness.

 _"Diego!"_ He called desperately, staring at the empty space where his friend had been. His fear flared into fury suddenly, and he scowled as he turned to look at Redfield. "What'd you _do_ to him?!" He demanded, his heart racing as Redfield turned towards him.

" _Are you scared_?!" He roared, his shadows lit by furious flames which twisted his previously friendly appearance into that of a monster.

" _I'm not scared_!" He yelled truthfully, glaring at Redfield with tears of betrayal in his eyes, desperately wondering where Diego had gone and wishing he knew he were alright. Redfield hissed, surging forward as bloody red flames leapt from his mouth. Taylor couldn't help but flinch away from the heat, before looking back at the shadow creature with wide eyes. "Hey! You only get one chance to-"

 _"Dead!"_ Redfield growled, and Taylor gasped as an invisible force tipped him over backwards, slamming him into the cavern floor and pinning him down.

"... can't... _move!"_ He choked, watching helplessly from the floor as one by one, the rest of his friends fell to Redfield's scares; until only Raj and his cousin remained.

 _"Raj..."_ Redfield asked, a parody of soft playfulness once again. " _Are you scared?"_ He asked, almost tentatively.

"Screw you, dude!" Raj yelled, glaring at the shadow being as he cocked his head curiously.

 _"Ohhh?"_ He chuckled, his eyes like beams of light in the shadowy darkness which made Redfield's shadowy body. He reached one clawed hand towards the chubbier boys cousin, and instantly; Raj's attitude shifted.

"No, no no _no!"_ He cried, his eyes widening as he began to struggle more fiercely. "Get away from my cousin, monster dude!" He pleaded. As Redfield seemed to chuckle darkly.

 _"Dead."_ He rasped, his fiery visage returning as Raj plunged backwards and the shadow monster slowly turned towards his cousin.

". _.._ not scared, I'm not scared _, I'm not scared_..." They chanted repeatedly, staring in wide eyed horror at where Raj had disappeared from their view.

"What's that, little one..?" Redfield asked, his wispy appearance almost friendly as he drifted closer to them.

 _"I'm not scared_!" They yelled, turning their small face toward the monster, contorted by fury and hatred. " _I'm not scared_!"

 _"Not scared?!"_ Redfield bellowed, his rasping and otherworldly voice echoing around then all in the cavern, his flames licked across his shadowy body, twisting his friendly face into a gruesome and fiery snarl. Darkness bled into the air around Raj's cousin, swirling onto a black vortex which lifted then off the ground. " _At last_..." He growled, as he drifted closer to them. Taylor watched in horrified silence, as the vortex built, swirling faster and faster, filling the cave with a sound like tortured screams.

 _"Nooo!"_ Taylor screamed suddenly, though he barely recognised the process, his eyes glued to the terrifying sight; unable to understand why he had ever been so excited to venture down into the depths of Redfield's house, guilt weighing heavy on his heart as he stared at his best friend in horror.

 _"I'm not scared_!" Raj's cousin continued to chant, screaming the words into the darkness building, swirling around them. _"I'm not scared! **I'm not sc-**_!" Their chair slammed into the ground suddenly, shattering into a thousand pieces.

A small, lifeless body lay broken among the wreckage, their neck twisted at an unnatural angle; their wide, empty eyes staring directly through Taylor. _"No..!"_ He yelled, his heart lurching as the air around his body suddenly became lighter, and he found himself able to move again. He lay on his side, staring back at the lifeless gaze of his best friend, as Raj's howls of grief tore into the night air.

 _Present day_...

 _"No!"_ Taylor yelled, sitting up in his bed abruptly, nauseous with terror as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. "Oh, god..." He choked, tests spilling down his cheeks as he drew his knees to his chest and hugged himself, shaking with the force of his sobs.

At the foot of the bed, Furball stirred, staring sleepily in Taylors direction. _"Mroooo?"_ He yipped curiously, skulking slowly up the bed to lick at Taylors hand worriedly.

"It's okay, boy..." Taylor said shakily, swallowing heavily between his hiccupping sobs. "We're okay. I'll... be okay." He sniffed, reaching down with a trembling hand to riffle his cook, blue fur. Beside him, Fiddler rolled over in her sleep, snuggling into the foxes side as she purred deeply. "I have to try and make this right... I _have_ to." He said, shaking his head as he turned to gaze out the window despondently. "... But I'm not sure I ever really can..."

"Taylor?" Rebecca called tentatively, knocking on the door before peeking round, gazing at him worriedly. "Are ya alright?" She asked, approaching slowly to sit beside him. "Do ya ever _not_ have nightmares..?" She asked, frowning as she swept his damp hair from his brow.

"I'm sure I must've had normal dreams once..." He mumbled, squeezing her fingers tightly as she slipped her hand into his. "I just, can't remember when." He admitted tiredly, swallowing thickly as he tried to shake off the awful memory from his nightmare.

Rebecca frowned, gently stroking her thumb across the back of his hand. "What about when J-" she paused, as Taylor winced in anticipation of the name, his heart clenching painfully as the redhead drew in a sharp breath. "After everythin' with Craig..." She finished weakly, though Taylor knew only too well what she meant.

"I didn't sleep..." He said quietly, looking down at his lap and picking at his duvet distractedly. "When I finally had to though, I had me head under my pillow... It, uh, it hid any noise I might've made." He said, peeking up at her briefly, before looking away.

Rebecca sighed, frowning as she reached up and coiled her finger beneath his chin, only for him to jerk his head away, a flash of grief flaring on his face before he could hide it. "Oh, Taylor..." She groaned, her frown of concern turning exasperated as she leaned back to look at him better. "Why won't ya just _tell him?_ The both of ya are stubborn as mules! Ya obviously miserable-"

"You really want him involved in this?" Taylor asked, glancing over at Rebecca as his eyes clouded with fear. "Everyone we speak to is instantly put at risk... I'm not about to risk him too, are _you?"_ He asked, shivering as he curled in on himself. "It's better for him, _safer,_ if he hates me."

 _"Pfft,_ I don't think my brother could _ever_ hate ya, Taylor." Rebecca scoffed, biting her lip guiltily when Taylor winced. "Sorry. But, I'm certain he's only stuck around so far 'cause he wants to be here for ya still... So why don't ya just go see him?" She asked, squeezing his hand as Taylor sniffed and shook his head.

"It's better this way." He said, his brows raising slightly as he saw Rebecca bite her lip and look away worriedly. "What is it? Are you okay? Is _he_ okay? Oh god, did something happen?" He asked worriedly, asking questions so rapidly she could barely answer.

"Jeez, Taylor, take a breath already." She scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "He's fine, physically anyway, but... I think he's seriously considerin' leavin' town, now. I heard him on the phone the other day, talkin' about meetin' a friend up north."

Taylors heart lurched, as he looked down at his hands, examining his fingers as if he'd never seen them before. "... Maybe it's for the best." He said quietly, his despondency clear, though he tried to hide his feelings about the pilots potential departure.

"Urgh, ya both so damn _pigheaded."_ Rebecca growled quietly, shaking his head as Taylor avoided her frustrated gaze. "All either of ya have done for the past three days is sulk and mope, and I honestly can't decide if I wanna bang ya heads together or lock ya both in a room somewhere until ya... doin' all the gross things I don't wanna picture ya doin' together." She complained, sighing as she shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I know ya don't want him to go, Taylor, hell _I_ don't want him to go! Tell him-"

"Becca... C'mon." Taylor sighed, finally looking up at her with a roll of his eyes. "You _really_ think he's gonna believe us? You saw his face... And besides, even if he did believe-" Taylor paused, his throat thick with fear as he dragged in a deep breath. "I'm not about to let Mr. Red hurt him. And I know you feel the same..." He asked, looking her in the eye as she frowned and reluctantly turned away. "See? Just like I thought... Now, get off my bed you hussy. We might as well get ready for school."

Rebecca rolled her eyes, as Taylor tried to plaster a smile on his face, shoving at her gently to make her stand. "On another note," he added, grabbing her hand as he got to his feet. "Thankyou for staying the past few days... Its meant a lot." He said, drawing her into a hug.

"Of course..." She said quietly, her arms looping about him, as she rubbed his back and rest her head upon his shoulder. For a moment they remained that way, content to merely hold each other.

"... Okay. Sappy stuff over. Go away, I need to get pretty." He said with blatant false cheer, pulling away as he cleared his throat, his cheeks stained with a light blush.

 _"Pfft,_ charmin'." Rebecca scoffed, rolling her eyes as she smiled and shook her head at him. She frowned suddenly, glancing down the hall uncertainly. "... Ya sure ya parents won't mind me usin' their room..? Aren't they due back soon?"

Taylor purposely kept his expression blank, looking through his closet for something to wear. "Hmm, should be any time soon." He said vaguely, as he picked out his clothes. "And no, they won't mind." He added, before turning away to begin changing, hiding his hollow expression.

"Ya could at least wait til I leave the room to change!" Rebecca complained, swatting him round the back of the head quickly, before stomping off to go and get ready herself.

Taylors lips twitched in brief amusement, before he shook his head and began to get himself ready for the day, making certain to cover the various bruises he had still marring his skin. Within an hour, both he and Rebecca were ready, and the redhead was driving them to the school. After a brief hug and an affectionate goodbye, Rebecca turned to head to cheer practice, while Taylor turned to head into the main building, just catching up to Raj as he strolled up the front steps.

"Wow, dude... You look as bad as I feel." He said, his eyes widening as he checked Taylor over quickly. "Didn't sleep well?" He guessed knowingly, as they began to paused to talk at the side of the steps.

"Nightmares." Taylor agreed, rubbing his eyes tiredly for a moment, before dropping his hand with a sigh. "Nothing I'm not used to though..." He added, glancing at Raj as he nodded. "You too?"

Raj nodded ruefully, rubbing his own eyes slowly. "I can barely think straight, dude..." He sighed, shaking his head dejectedly. "Pretty sure I called my mom a fascist for asking me to take the garbage out this morning." He said, as they slowly dawdled their way through the doors.

They walked in silence, an unspoken understanding that they need not actually discuss their nightmares. As they walked down the hall, Taylor spotted Sean, walking in the opposite direction. "Hey," he called as they passed, catching hold of his friends arm. "How're you holding up?" He asked, his eyes flicking over Sean briefly as if to check for physical injury.

"Hanging in there." Sean sighed, smiling tiredly as he ran a hand over his hair. "How about y-" he began, flinching as mocking voices began to yell down then hall.

" _Hey, Gayle_!" They taunted, and Taylor frowned as he glanced down the hall, unable to pick out faces in the crowded hallway. " _You throw that game on purpose, or are you just a one hit wonder? Maybe you shoulda stuck to football after all!"_

Sean's jaw clenched tightly, as he scowled down the hall, his hands balling at his sides in fury. "Hey, don't let them-" Taylor tried to warn, but a moment later Sean was gone, chased by the mocking laughter down the hall.

"We're gonna have to do something about this Mr. Red situation," Raj sighed, watching Sean push through the crowds to find his tormentors. "Before one of us cracks."

Taylor stared after Sean for a long moment, his heart slowly picking up speed, until it was pounding loudly against his ribs. "Well, _I_ for one am done taking hits." He whispered, his hand curling into a white knuckled fist, as he pushed aside his despondency. "It's time we start hitting back." He said firmly, his brow knitting into a scowl, as he turned to Raj.

"Yeah! Totally, dude!" He said cheerfully, bumping his fist to Taylors shoulder. His excitement faded somewhat however, as he frowned and lowered his hand again. "So, uh... what do you want to do?"

Taylor met Raj's curious gaze with a determined glare, before he turned to storm down the hallway. _"Homework."_ He said, stomping away to find a secluded corner away from prying eyes, where he tugged put his phone and started a new group chat. **Attention literally everyone. Mr red, is going to come after us all.** He sent, pausing as he winced guiltily **. Which is definitely my fault, and I'm sorry**... He added quickly, glancing around the hall before quickly typing up a new message. **But, I think we can all agree that we need to find a way to stop him. I'm going to the library tonight, to get to the bottom of this. To find some way to stop, banish or kill him**. He texted quickly, his fiery determination dimming slightly as he bit his lip nervously. **Can I count on you**? He asked, his heart swelling with gratitude when the first response was almost immediate.

 **I'll be there**. Rebecca messaged, as Taylor sighed in relief, uncertain what he would have done if none of them had replied.

 **You don't have cheer practice or something**? Raj asked, and Taylor looked up to where his friend stood nearby, rolling his eyes at his deliberate needling.

 **Duh, of course I do**. Rebecca replied, as Taylor sighed at their bickering. **But, this is more important. Meet you after class**! She said, just as the bell rang and Taylor quickly stuffed his phone into his pocket.

Well, three musketeers are better than none. He thought, tipping his head to Raj as they separated and drifted to their own classes. He strolled into first period English a short time later, sitting behind Quinn as Rebecca settled herself beside her, just barely catching the end of her greeting.

"Hey, did ya get Taylors text?" She asked, frowning when Quinn began to fidget guiltily.

"Yeah... And, I _wanna_ go! But, um..." She hedged, turning to look at Taylor with imploring eyes. "Michelle and I are supposed to go look at homecoming dresses tonight!" She gushed, as Taylor nodded faintly and forced a smile to his lips.

"Hey, no worries beautiful. Enjoy." He said, clearing his throat as he began to gather his things from his bag and set them on his desk.

"Taylor-" Quinn began, only for Rebecca to speak over her.

"Quinn, Michelle is-" she said, just as the blonde herself walks into the class.

"Ooh, my ears are burning." She sneered, sliding up to Quinn's table with a packet of gummy bears. "Morning, Quinn! Here... I saved you all the green ones, 'cause I know they're your favourite."

"Thanks... Meech!" Quinn said awkwardly, though she couldn't help smiling brightly at the blonde, her cheeks staining pink as she bit her lip.

"Oh my god, you are just _so_ adorable..." Michelle giggled, as she bopped her nose gently. The pair laughed quietly, as Taylor feigned gagging noises behind Quinn, though he sobered when he caught sight of the look in Michelle's eyes, as she locked her gaze with Rebecca.

"Good morning, Becca." She said formally, her smile twisting slightly in her effort to remain civil. "Would you like a gummy bear?"

"Hard pass." Rebecca replied, scowling at the blonde in obvious irritation. "Also, we need to talk." She said, standing from her chair and yanking her to the other side of the classroom.

Taylor looked after them worriedly, his gut churning as he tried to keep himself in his seat. "Do you think everything's alright?" Quinn asked quietly, glancing between Taylor and where Rebecca was talking with Michelle.

"Uh... Judging by the scary faces alone? I would say its unlikely..." He hedged, slipping from his chair with Quinn, the pair approaching tentatively to lean against a nearby desk and pretend they were talking, just managing catch the tail end of the conversation.

"... is _you."_ Rebecca whispered furiously, her scowl of frustration locked onto Michelle. "I don't know what kind of game ya playin', but ya better listen to me right now; leave Quinn out of it! She deserves _better_ than-"

Michelle rolled her eyes, holding up a hand and flapping it open and closed like a mouth. "'If you hurt her, I swear to god,' blah blah blah." She sighed, folding her arms over her chest as she glared at Rebecca. "Look, I already did this whole lame routine with Taylor, so can we skip the threats?"

"I don't _need_ to threaten ya, remember?" Rebecca scoffed, as Quinn frowned at Taylor questioningly, who shrugged guiltily in return. "Not when I have ya phone."

"Wow, Becca..." Michelle huffed, narrowing her eyes as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Its a shame you're not as good at cheerleading as you are blackmail."

"At least I didn't get it, by secretly filmin' a so-called friend." Rebecca shot back, shaking her head as her angry expression melted into genuine concern. "Now, why are you suddenly so intent on Quinn? What is it you're tryin' to pull, exactly?"

"Is it so unbelievable that I might just _actually_ have feelings for her?" Michelle demanded furiously, and Taylor squeezed Quinn's hand with a small grin, as her cheeks flared red.

"Honestly?" Rebecca asked, raising her brows as her gaze flickered over Michelle. "Yeah... Ya ain't done a single thing for anyone, that don't somehow benefit you, ever since Sean told you he needed some space for awhile. To be honest... ya kinda a monster." She said quietly, blinking as Michelle's face contorted with rage.

"You can't talk to me like-" she began, though Taylor was distracted by the loud buzzing of his phone in his pocket.

"Hold that thought." Rebecca said, reaching for her own phone at the same time as Quinn, as Taylors heart lurched in sudden dread.

"Becca-" he called, too late to stop her from pulling her phone from her pocket. They jumped as audio blasted from the speakers, a familiar voice playing from the screen.

 _"I **hate** my life_!" Taylors heart stopped, at the devastated sound of his friends tearful voice, glancing around the room as Rebecca's face drained of blood. " _Everyone thinks we're this perfect family because that's what Mayor Mom needs us to be... but it's all fake_!" Rebecca's voice from the speakers cracked, her despair obvious as she continued to cry and rant. " _Mom and Dad hate each other. They're both having affairs, and they don't even try to hide it from me!"_

"What the _hell?!"_ Rebecca cried, mashing the power button repeatedly, before slamming her thumb down as hard as she could. But her phone would not turn off, and all around, students began to stare, while others reached for their phones.

"Becca, calm down... Think-" Taylor tried to reason, stepping forward too late as Rebecca panicked and hurled her phone to the ground, where the case exploded into shrapnel; but the speaker continued to play, even louder than before.

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up!_ " Rebecca chanted, stomping her foot onto the pieces frantically in am attempt to mash the speaker and prevent its from sharing her darkest secrets.

"Um, _oh my god_?" Michelle laughed, as students all throughout the room began to pull out their phones. Taylor wrapped his arms around Rebecca, who hid her face in his shoulder, as he looked around to see screens light up one by one. Speakers blared in chorus, as the announcement system screeched overhead.

" _I **hate** my life! Everyone thinks we're this perfect little family_..."

"This shouldn't be possible..." Rebecca mumbled onto Taylors shoulder, as Quinn joined them and tried to comfort her friend. "Unless..."

"It's _him."_ Taylor said, swallowing heavily as the students around them began to point and whisper. "Quinn, grab mine and Becca's bag for us quick... I need to get her out of here." He murmured, and the redhead nodded before quickly rushing to gather their things.

"Taylor... I think I'm gonna be sick..." Rebecca muttered, her hands curling into his top like they were the only thing holding ger upright. "Taylor..." She whispered, as he gently shushed her and tried to block as much of the class from her sight as possible.

"Shh, its okay. Just breathe... We're gonna head out in a sec, okay. Quinn's just getting our bags, and then we're gonna blow the day off, right?" He said reassuringly, stroking her back slowly and glancing at Quinn as she approached them with their things.

 _"Ooohhh_ my god," Michelle gasped, staring at Rebecca's distraught form with obvious glee. "This is _too_ good."

"Michelle, what the _hell?!"_ Quinn demanded, startling them all as she scowled at the blonde and passed Taylor his bag. "Can't you see she's upset? How can you stand there and-" she trailed off, shaking her head in obvious disgust as she swallowed and blinked back tears.

"I... I'm sorry!" Michelle stammered, as Quinn shook her head slowly and turned away from her, trying to pry Rebecca's face from Taylors shoulder to catch her eye.

"Becca... are you okay?" She asked gently, her hand squeezing Rebecca's shoulder gently. "What is that-?"

"Over... its over... all over." Rebecca muttered, as Taylor met Quinn's worried gaze over Rebecca's lowered head.

"What's over..?" She asked, turning her attention back to Rebecca as she raised her head just enough to look at Quinn with a hollow expression.

"My _life!"_ She whispered, obviously in agony as she clutched tighter to Taylors shoulder as her chest hitched with a sob.

"C'mon, gorgeous. Lets get you outta here now." Taylor said firmly, steering her toward the door. Michelle remained in their way, staring at Quinn in shock as she moved with them.

"Quinn, wha-" she began, reaching for the redhead and frowning as she jerked herself away from the blondes touch.

"You did this." Quinn said brokenly, swallowing thickly as she shook her head. "You made that recording to blackmail my friend, you tormented her and you... you _enjoyed_ it." She said, choking as she brushed past the blonde with Taylor, Rebecca carefully embraced between them. She paused at the doorway, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked back. "... They were right about you." She whispered, before turning away and hurrying after Taylor and Rebecca.

"Quinn-" Taylor said, but the redhead merely shook her head at him, scrubbing at her eyes roughly.

"Just... don't worry about _me._ We need to get her away from here." She said, sniffing as she grabbed Rebecca's keys from her bag.

"... Can you drive her back to mine? Nobody will bother her there-" Taylor said, breaking off suddenly when his phone chimed. He dug it from his pocket to see a new message from Raj in the group chat. **Anyone else's phone acting weird, dudes**? The large boy asked, as Taylor drew in a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. **This video of Rebecca just started auto-playing at full volume.**

 **I got it too**. Sean messaged quickly, as Taylor and Quinn hurried down the hall towards the exit. **And I'm pretty sure I just saw her with Taylor and Quinn, out in the hall**. **What's going on?**

 **It was Mr. Red... Has to be**. Taylor replied, scowling as he glanced at Quinn briefly. He clenched his jaw and held the door open, as Quinn led their friend through to a stairwell. **Somehow he got hold of that video and sent it to everyone... We are taking Becca to my house, anyone who wants to come, meet up at Becca's car in ten**. He sent the text message, then hesitated for a moment, before quickly typing out another. **I think we oughtta watch each others backs today. Something tells me he's not done yet...**

 **Speaking of, anyone seen Zahra?** Sean asked, and Taylor frowned as he thought back over the morning, realising that he hadn't seen his friend that day at all. **Also, I can be with you guys in five.**

 **I haven't seen her**... Taylor admitted, his concern growing in light of Rebecca's classroom incident. **You think... something happened?**

 **Cease you're hypochondriac theories, Zahra is by her locker. Glaring at it, in truth**. Aleister's message chimed into the group, though Taylor couldn't decide if he was relieved or more concerned by the vaguely ominous tone.

 **Have you asked her what's wrong?** Taylor sent back, biting his lip worriedly as he trotted down the stairs with Quinn and Rebecca.

 **I am neither an imbecile nor suicidal** , Taylor. Aleister replied, and Taylor rolled his eyes, as he imagined his friends irritated scowl. **Zahra currently bears an expression which inplies she would be more likely to maul anyone who approaches, as opposed to speak with them.**

On our way. Taylor shot back, shaking his head as he held the lower stairs door open for Quinn. "We gotta pass by my locker, Zahra's down there, with Aleister, by the sounds of it." He said, and Quinn nodded quickly, as she turned left down the hall. After a tense minute of hurrying down the hall, Taylors locker came into view, with Zahra glaring at her own beside it. He glanced at Aleister, a short ways down the hall, leaning against his own locker as he watched Zahra.

"Welp." Zahra said, moving aside to reveal that she had in fact been glaring at something on her locker. Taylor flinched at the blood red words, spelling out the word 'witch,' which were scrawled across her locker, shuddering as Zahra began to yell up and down the hall. "Just so you know, assholes; whoever actually did this? Your handwriting _sucks!"_ She called, ripping open the door with a snarl, as Aleister sighed and shook his head.

"I take it things are rapidly descending into chaos?" He called, pushing away from his locker as if about to approach, when he instead merely stood straighter, raising a brow at the sound of footfalls behind them.

"Quinn! Quinn, _wait!"_ Michelle called, her eyes wide and imploring as she stared at Quinn, who shook her head and turned away from the blonde.

"I'm helping my friend." She said, uncharacteristically stiffly. For a moment, nothing more was said, until finally she glanced back at Michelle in obvious hurt and confusion. "... How could you be so _cruel?"_

"It just slipped out!" Michelle said defensively, though she shifted her weight guiltily from one foot to the other, averting her eyes from Quinn's disappointed gaze.

"You were standing there, _laughing!_ Taunting her." Quinn said, swallowing heavily as she shook her head slowly. "And you made that recording, for _exactly_ that reason... To make her feel this awful. To hurt her this badly-"

"Please... I'm trying to be better!" Michelle promised, biting her lip as she took a step closer. But you know, I've been having those headaches, and sometimes I just can't think..."

"You don't need to think to be kind! You just have to _not_ take pleasure in someone else's pain!" Quinn exclaimed, drawing in a deep breath as she looked away from the blonde. "Maybe... maybe, you're just not the person I thought you were."

"No, Quinn, please..." Michelle tried to reason, but Quinn was already shaking her head. "Just, gimme another chance Quinn, _please._ Let me drive you guys-"

"I'm going to help Rebecca into the car, Taylor." Quinn said loudly, her voice trembling as Rebecca's dazed, horrified gaze stared straight ahead blankly. "I'll drive her straight to yours."

"Sure..." Taylor said quietly, his hand delving into his pocket briefly and drawing out a small key. "Here." He said, dropping it into Quinn's palm, before kissing her cheek quickly. "Be safe. I'll catch a ride with Aleister..."

"I beg your pardon?" Aleister drawled, narrowing his eyes at Taylor as he glanced over and threw his pale friend an innocent wink. Aleister heaved a long suffering sigh, as Quinn quickly took Rebecca by the hand and led her down the hall and out the front doors, leaving Michelle to dodge around Taylor and hurry after them. "Well. Regardless of your, assumptions... It would appear you were correct, Taylor." The pale boy sighed, as he shook his head. "Things are... not good today."

"No shit." Taylor huffed, as Aleister rolled his eyes at his crude bluntness, before turning back to his own locker and spinning the dial.

"What the _devil-?!"_ Aleister choked upon opening the door, startled by the pile of prescription bottles which tumbled out. He grabbed at them, as Taylors eyes widened, recognition and horror lighting his expression as he stared in disbelief, before hurrying over to help collect the bottles.

"I thought you threw all of these away!" Taylor whispered harshly, glancing at Aleister worriedly, as his pale friend shook his head in an attempt to clear away the shock.

"I _did!"_ Aleister assured, blinking rapidly as he and Taylor crouched, quickly gathering up all of the bottles. "Besides which, I never had _this_ many!" He hissed, scowling as he tried to stuff an armful of the bottles back into his locker.

"Mr. Rourke!" Called a voice from the end of the hall, causing Aleister to freeze as his already pale complexion to pale further. "Aleister, do you have a second?" Principal Hall asked, as he peeked around his locker door to see the Principal approaching quickly. Taylor quickly shot to his feet, the bottles he'd collected tucked safely into his bag, as he tried to shift Aleister's arm load into his own grasp.

"I-I'm a little busy just at the moment, Ma'am, so-" he began hesitantly, trying to switch his collection of bottles to Taylor gratefully.

"I'm worried about how students are coping with so many accidents, so close together." Principal Hall continued, ignoring Aleister's weak attempt to evade her. "Between Mr. Soto, Mrs. Montoya, Mr. Hsiao..." She said, as Aleister stepped around his locker, leaving Taylor to frantically try and shove more pill bottles into his pale friends already full locker and his own bag.

"Ah, yes Ma'am, I agree." Aleister coughed, holding his hands behind his back as he pretended to contemplate for a moment, before snapping his finger quickly. "We should organise an awareness assembly, to boost morale and reassure the students." He said, glancing at Taylor briefly, before looking back at Principal Hall with an awkward smile.

"Yes!" The Principal agreed eagerly, smiling broadly. "I was just going to suggest that very thing!" She said, chuckling to herself as Aleister gaze a discreet sigh of relief.

"Excellent, ma'am." He drawled, dipping his head to her respectfully. "I shall hasten to book the auditorium, first thing in the morning. Ah, was there anything else you wished to speak with me about, or..."

"Only to say that I truly appreciate everything you do for this school, Mr. Rourke." Principal Hall replied, smiling fondly at the pale boy, as Taylor crammed the final bottle into his locker, and made to close the door. "If you ever need anything from me, a letter of recommendation, or-"

A plastic bottle slipped from the locker, nudged out of place by its hinges, sending it clattering across the floor before Taylor could catch it. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry! I'll just-" Taylor stammered quickly, moving to collect the bottle; but too slow, as Principal Hall stooped to pick it up before he could reach it. She turned it over in her hand, and Taylors heart stuttered in his chest as she squinted at the label.

"Aleister... what is _this?"_ She gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she raised her gaze to Aleister's, as the pale boys hands fidgeted behind his back.

"I... That's just, uh..." He stammered, his usual confidence and suavity failing beneath the pressure of the Principal's hardening gaze.

"It's _mine."_ Taylor said suddenly, ducking his head guiltily as Aleister started, turning to him with wide eyes. They both jumped slightly, when Aleister's locker door slowly swung back open, dislodging four more pill bottled to clatter against the floor. Their eyes met, as Principal Hall crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot against the ground expectantly.

"My office. _Now."_ She barked, glaring at Taylor furiously. "Mr. Rourke, I should _hope_ you knew nothing about this..." She began warningly, as Aleister blinked disbelievingly, still shocked by Taylors intervention.

"He didn't, he was just talking to me about... giving me a ride home this evening." Taylor said quickly, swallowing as he swung around yo face his friend. "I, uh... I'm sorry to drag you into this, Aleister-"

"Taylor-" Aleister began, recovering his wits as Taylor grabbed his wrist and shook his head sadly, his piercing gaze locking onto Taylors determined deep blue eyes.

"I promise, I'll be sure to explain to the Principal how its a coincidence you were here... Just, uh, I'll meet up with you and the guys later, okay?" Taylor said meaningfully, squeezing Aleister's wrist briefly, before stepping back and half turning to follow the irate Principal. "Um... Head to mine, and uh, tell the others to make themselves at home?" He said, before turning away and following the Principal, drawing in a deep breath as he slowly calmed himself, content he was able at least to help one of his friends. He glanced back from the end of the hall, waving to the still stunned Aleister as Zahra walked up to the pale boy and began to tug at his sleeve. "Meet you at the library..." He called, before taking a deep breath and stepping into the Principal's office, closing the door on his friends dazed expressions with a final sad smile.

It was almost three hours later, that he finally walked into the library, sighing heavily as he dumped his bag onto a table and sat to lean his head upon his hands _. I can't even decide who actually won that_... He thought tiredly, shaking his head as he raised his eyes, holding his chin between his palms as he looked around the library. Principal Hall's frustration over not being able to reach Taylors parents had increased the discomfort of his stay, but his overall satisfaction that Aleister was safe from repercussion, had made it easier for him to sit through the tedious lectures of disappointment and his failure to adhere to the high standards of the school.

Taylor yawned, folding his arms across the top of the table and lowering his head, gazing across at the racks of books which he would soon be perusing; just as soon as he decided he had wallowed in his strange mix of self pity and pride long enough. He lost track of time, half dozing as he stared vacantly at the distant books, while his thoughts churned with the continuous presence of Redfield and his attempts to ruin his friends. He yelped when a hand settled on his shoulder, launching up from his chair as he spun around and clutched at his heart. _"Whoa,_ easy there dude... Did _not_ mean to scare you, little doodlejump." Raj said, raising his palms in placation.

"Oh my god..." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he giggled in surprise briefly. "I'm sorry, dude, I was beyond a million miles away." He said, bumping his fist to Raj's as his friend grinned at him.

"Heh, no worries." Raj said, tossing his things onto the table beside Taylors. "Just glad to see you here man, I thought everyone just bailed after school and nobody would be here." He huffed, toying with the strap of his bag.

"I think everyone's at mine... I, forgot to message them in all honesty." Taylor said, running a hand through his hair distractedly and chuckling ar Raj's curiously raised brow. "It's been a _looooong_ day, dude."

Raj appeared about to say something further, before deciding against it. He smiled instead and moved away to grab some books, and after a moment's hesitation, Taylor followed his example. They sat and browsed their selection for the next hour, as Taylor continually glanced at the door, before finally giving up and beginning to pace anxiously, while Raj watched him and drummed his fingers on the table. "What if they don't come? What if its just us?" Taylor babbled, looking over at Raj briefly as he passed. "Do you think anyone else _will_ come?"

"Dude, chill out." Raj sighed, though his expression darkened as he glared at the library entrance in frustration. "I knew this was gonna happen." He muttered, shaking his head. "I just _knew-"_

He cut off abruptly, as the doors banged open, making Taylor jump and finally cease his pacing. "I heard you got _suspended?!"_ Aleister demanded, as he stormed in and threw his bag to the table, scowling at Taylor furiously.

"Uh," Taylor hedged, glancing at Raj, who was of no help as he stared at Aleister in disbelief. Taylor cleared his throat and turned back to Aleister, shrugging his shoulders as he raised his brows. "Better me than you?" He offered weakly, as Aleister growled and turns to glare around the books present.

"Even though I tried to do the right thing, Mr. Red is determined to ruin my life; but instead he's affected _yours!"_ His pale boy friend snarled, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

"Dude, this is _really_ not that bigger deal. I mean, it's not like I was expelled and I'm still allowed to homecoming and stuff if I want..." Taylor said, his eyes wide as he beheld Aleister's fury on his behalf. "Don't worry, I mean, its not like my parents would care if Principal Hall had reached them anyway, so-"

"Excuse me?" Aleister said sharply, turning to Taylor abruptly with his brow raised. "What is _that_ supposed to mean, exactly?" He demanded, as Taylor flushed and shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

"Just, you know, they have a lot going on." He said vaguely, waving his hand briefly before moving away from Aleister toward the table. "And I think signal is bad over there, the calls that Principal Hall tried to make wouldn't connect..." He said, avoiding Aleister's piercing gaze by keeping his back turned to him. "Besides, you're safe... So, what's the point in getting upset over it?"

"The point, is that if there's anything in this library which can kill that incorporeal bastard, I am determined to find it." Aleister sneered after a long moments pause, relenting to Taylors silent request to change the subject. "Even if it should take me all year." He added, as he glanced around with a frown. "Where is everyone else?" He demanded sternly.

"Here." Sean called as he strode through the doors. Rebecca shuffled in behind him, her face still red from crying as she dropped a half eaten pint of ice cream in the trash.

"Aw man, not my peanut butter stash..." Taylor pouted, as Rebecca sniffed and slowly walked over to bury her face in his chest. "... The things I do for you guys. Get suspended, give up my ice cream..." He teased gently, rubbing Rebecca's back until she pulled away with a small, sad smile.

"I hope you guys don't mind if I just curl up on the floor in a ball..." She said tiredly, her voice thick from the heavy crying she'd done.

"As long as I can join you." Quinn said, draping a garment bag from the dress store over the back of a chair, as she sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. "Guys, I'm... I'm not so sure about Michel- _whoa!"_ She gasped as Taylor suddenly released Rebecca to sweep Quinn into a fierce hug, before holding her back a step by her shoulders and searching her face frantically.

"Are you feeling okay? Are you dizzy, or tired? Do you need to sit do-" he began to query rapidly, until Aleister scoffed and forced him to release the redhead, gently prying his hands free so Quinn could grasp them in her own, as she frowned at him in confusion.

"Taylor, what..?" She asked, shaking her head as she gazed at him with wide eyes, watching as he checked her over again worriedly.

"Mr. Red is taking back all his gifts..." Taylor said, his gut churning with nausea as Quinn lowered her crystalline eyes in understanding. "Worse, he's escalating how bad things were... I don't want-"

"Taylor, I don't think anything is going to happen to me." Quinn assured, sighing as she looked up again with a weak smile. "He needs us, right? So he can't give me my illness back, because the only escalation of that is for me to be in a coma. I think..." She paused, swallowing heavily as she blinked back tears and tried to smile. "I think Mr. Red just made me realise a few things, which you'd all been trying to tell me already." She said quietly, as Taylor threw his arms around her and held her close for a long moment.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered in her ear, as Quinn hummed and returned his hug with just as much of a fierce grip as he held her with. She was about to reply, when Raj's loud whistle cut through the atmosphere sharply.

"Wow. You guys..." He huffed, shaking his head as she smiled around them all in confused but pleased disbelief. "You actually came, little dudes!"

"Of course we came!" Rebecca snarked, raising her brows at him in surprise, as she slumped against the wall beside the entrance doors. "Why _wouldn't_ we?"

"We need to stick together..." Quinn said, as she and Taylor separated and approached the melancholy girl, each rubbing an arm consolingly. _"Now,_ more than ever." She added, smiling around then all sadly.

 _"Wow."_ Zahra's drawl came from the doorway, her eyes wide as she surveyed them all. "Thus is getting dangerously close to group hug territory." She said, as she tried to back out of the room, only for Rebecca to grap her by the collar.

"Oh no, ya don't." She scoffed, smirking at Zahra's obvious discomfort at their bonding and emotional exchanges.

"You're not escaping that easily." Quinn giggled, as she wrapped herself around Zahra's arm and prevented her escape from the library with Rebecca.

"Especially now Iron Hands and Limpet here have hold of you." Taylor snickered, grining when Quinn stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ugh." Zahra scoffed, scowling as she tried to free herself from her friends grips. _"Ugh!"_

"Guys... I'm really glad you all made it." Taylor said warmly, his heart lightening for the first time all day as he looked around his friends. "C'mon, group hug." He said, throwing his arms wide as he approached Zahra and the two redheads. _"Seriously."_ He said when none of them moved.

 _"Noooooo..."_ Zahra groaned, as Quinn and Rebecca giggled and prevented her escape, her eyes widening in distress as Taylor approached quickly.

 _"Yes."_ He said, smirking as he wrapped one arm around Quinn shoulders and sidled up beside her. "Get in here." He said, snickering and throwing his other arm around Zahra's shoulder, helping Rebecca and Quinn reel her in, as she sighed dramatically.

 _"Seeeee?"_ Rebecca huffed, a small smile playing on her lips as she rest her head on the fierce girls shoulder. "Not so bad."

"That's _your_ opinion." Zahra scoffed, grimacing as she tried and failed to squirm away. "I hate this. You're all gross." She groused, giving up on her struggles when the others proved too determined to release her. "Please don't let anyone see me taking part in a group hug..." She groaned, as Quinn giggled and kissed her cheek.

 _"Aww..."_ She laughed, grinning broadly as she held Zahra and Taylor tightly. "We love you too, Zahra." She giggled, as Zahra sighed again and finally waited for them to release her.

"Okay." Taylor finally called, stepping back much a few moments later, to Zahra's relief as she quickly fled their group hug to lean against a nearby wall, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "So, here's what comes next... We're looking for anything we can find on Redfield, or his weird and creepy monsters." He said, rocking off his fingers as he listed their leads. "Or, cults from the eighteen hundreds... Or coma epidemics, followed by multiple deaths..." He said, pausing as he frowned, before his eyes widened and he snapped his fingers suddenly. "Oh, or some guy named Goddard Filleus."

"Uh, who the _hell_ is that?" Raj asked, frowning at him in confusion as he nudged aside a book he'd already finished with.

"A scholar who came to Westchester in the eighteen hundreds." Taylor explained, shivering as he recalled the intense need and reverence with which Goddard had spoken of 'the Master' of the cult he'd joined. "He was looking for a monster that lived in the woods... and, I think he found it."

"And just how the hell did you hear about _him?"_ Raj asked, his eyes wide as he absorbed the information, a shaky hand running over his chin.

"Heh," Taylor huffed, a brief grin flashing across his face. "A little bird told me." He snickered, thinking of Mal and his habit of finding the scholars strange letters.

"Very well." Aleister drawled, already narrowing his eyes toward a far section of the library. "That should be a more than sufficient lead to solve this mystery-"

"Ooh, are we Scooby Doo, now?" Taylor asked, grinning widely as Aleister paused to stare at him blankly, clearly unimpressed with his interruption. "... I wanna be Fred." Taylor finally added, after they'd stared in silence for a few seconds longer, throwing the pale boy a playful wink. "Fred's _cooool..."_

Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if physically pained by Taylors ongoing idiocy. "Lets just, get to work." He said dryly, strolling away to search the library index and begin gathering a stack of books for them to sift through.

Taylor pouted as he turned to Quinn and Rebecca, raising his brows hopefully. "So... any takers on Daphne?" He asked, snickering when they both rolled their eyes at him and began to giggle, as they jostled him in passing. "Nobody appreciates my awesome sense of humour." He sighed dramatically, as he followed them back to his and Raj's table, returning to his book with renewed energy, now that his friends had all come together again at last.


	14. I'm Not Scared; Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii
> 
> I am alive...
> 
> I admit. Not been good recently. I had to lock myself out of ao3 for a couple days after an argument with family; stop myself from deleting everything in a depression low but, i have since managed to finish this chapter off - so i count it all as a win, i guess...
> 
> Im really sorry bout my lack of updates, i actually feel better when i write so its kind of annoying, but still - happens i guess, huh?
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter - sorry again that it took so long! I will try and get on top of things again :) i hope youre all well and know that i think of you all often, even when taking forever to actually wrote - youre all my muses ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**14.**

**I'm Not Scared; Part Two**.

After another couple hours of yet more fruitless searching in the library, morale was running low once more among the group. "We haven't found anything on Mr. Red..." Taylor sighed in disbelief, as he leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. He glanced around his friends, all of them seeming as disillusioned as he felt himself. "Anyone have any bright ideas?"

"Pizza." Aleister drawled, doodling idly on a notebook as he stared at it vacantly. He blinked, looking up with an embarrassed flush, as Taylor snorted and began to snicker quietly. "I... skipped eating today, and now... I cannot desist thinking of pizza." He admitted, clearing his throat guiltily.

"I'd settle for a cup of coffee..." Rebecca sighed, toying with the wnd of her ponytail as she gazed out the window tiredly. "And maybe, a new identity."

"I just wanna go outside for a walk." Sean said, groaning as he stretched his strong arms over his head, until he heard a loud click and sighed with satisfaction.

"Pfft, okay _grandpa."_ Zahra scoffed, rolling her eyes as she scowled across the library at the far wall. "Personally, I just wanna break something. Preferably, with a hammer." She said darkly, her hands clenching into a white knuckled grip upon the book she held. "And, I do know a warehouse nearby where I can do just that." She added thoughtfully, her expression clearing slightly as she considered.

Quinn nudged Taylor with her shoulder, taking his hand and pulling him from his chair and around a bookshelf. "Are we having a make out break or something?" Taylor snickered, as Quinn swatted his arm and rolled her eyes.

"As if _you'd_ be interested in that." She scoffed, though her lips twitched with amusement. "Now stop being an idiot for just a minute, and let me talk." She scolded, as Taylor laughed quietly and mimed zipping his lips shut. Quinn shook her head and sighed, glancing around the bookshelf sneakily. "The gang seems... not great." She hedged, drawing back to allow Taylor peeked around the bookshelf, eyeing their despondent friends for himself. "A break might be a good chance to talk to them." 

Taylor hummed thoughtfully, about to respond when he widened his eyes instead, pretending to panic as he glued his lips together. "Oh, Taylor..." Quinn giggled, reaching up as she rolled her eyes to unzip his lips.

"Ah, thanks!" He gasped, winking at her as she sighed and shook her head at him. "Well, I guess everyone's earned a little downtime..." He hummed thoughtfully, raising a brow at her curiously. "What about you? Isn't there something you wanna do?"

"Sleep." Quinn replied, laughing along with Taylor as they stepped out from behind the bookshelf and slowly moved back toward the table. "But I'll settle for everyone being a little happier." She said, laughing quietly as Taylor snickered and pinched her cheek.

"Too cute, beautiful." He said, shaking his head fondly as they rejoined the others. He clapped his hand onto Aleister's shoulder, smiling when his pale friend started in surprise. "My watch says it's pizza time, dude. Lets go."

"But..." Aleister balked, his eyes wide as he glanced around the others uncertainly. "What about-"

" _Pizza. Time_." Taylor said firmly, poking Aleister in the shoulder to punctuate his words. He raised a brow as Aleister sighed at the treatment, before his lips twitched in obvious amusement.

The pale boy finally held his hands up in defeat, and rose from his chair. "Very well, if you insist." He said, feigning indifference as he eagerly snatched up his keys. "Let's go."

"Hey, make sure you bring enough for the rest of the class, doodlejumps!" Raj called, his eyes wide as he watched the walk away from the table.

"Will do." Taylor said, winking as he saluted them roughly. His heart lurched at the gesture, but he quickly covered his discomfort by grabbing his wallet and following Aleister out the door to his car. 

The drive itself was mostly silent, each lost in their own thoughts as Aleister drove them to Pizza Mega, their favourite diner just at the edge of town. Ten minutes later, they strolled into the mostly empty diner and ordered three large pizzas, before taking seats at the counter to wait. Taylor glanced at Aleister, as the pale boy tapped his fingers against the countertop aggressively. "Uh-"

"I apologise, Taylor." Aleister said abruptly, shaking his head angrily as Taylor raised a brow and blinked at him blankly. "If it were not for my-" he began, only for Taylor to silence him by pressing a finger to his lips.

"Aleister, I mean this in the kindest possible way; but shut the hell up." He said fondly, smiling as he removed his finger from Aleister's mouth. "You realise, I'm not upset? Hell, some people would consider suspension from school as an opportunity to relax. I can spend a few days just chilling out with Furball and Fiddler." He said, shrugging dismissively as he looked over at the open kitchen, watching the chefs make their pizza bases.

Aleister scoffed, but his fingers stilled against the counter, a frown marring his brow as he studied Taylor curiously. "I do not understand how you can remain so calm." He said at last, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he folded his arms on the counter. "I already feel as though my future is sprinting away from me, heaven forbid how I would feel if..." He paused, shaking his head briefly as Taylor looked back at his friend, his brow raised in surprise. "Taylor... thankyou. You cannot know the-"

"I swear, I'm gonna barf if you keep being so sappy, Aleister. It doesn't suit you, stop it. You're creeping me out, dude." Taylor teased, jostling Aleister's shoulder gently, as his friend sighed and rolled his eyes. "Seriously though, its fine... Don't you think you're taking it a little too hard? I mean, it's not like I'm expelled... Though, to be honest I don't think even that would bother me just now."

"You do not understand, Taylor." His pale friend replied, sighing as he smoothed back his hair quickly. "I've strived for perfection for so long, my record is spotless... It should not be any longer however, but, you took the blame for me. I can't help but feel... fraudulent." Aleister explained awkwardly, shaking his head in frustration. "I feel as if it is all ruined, despite your intervention."

"Aleister," Taylor said, reaching over and squeezing his friends arm gently. "You know that isn't true. I did what I did because I know how hard you've worked for this, and it wasn't fair for Mr. Red to take that away from you. If there's _anything_ I can do to stop him hurting any one of you; I won't hesitate." He said firmly, smiling when Aleister's piercing eyes met his own. "I'm here for you." He said, squeezing Aleister's arm again gently.

"Really now?" Aleister asked after a long pause, a small smirk forming as his eyes glittered with a rare flash of mischief. "Even if I ask for your aide with the Homecoming committee notes?"

"Even that dude, sky's the limit." Taylor huffed fondly, as he spun around on his seat, leaning back against the counter as he looked around the almost empty diner. "Even if its just a back rub after you've been charging around all day, being the busy bee you are." He snorted.

Aleister's lips twitched as he tried to hide a smile, though his expression soon turned pensive once again. "I appreciate the offer." He said quietly, looking down and examining his long fingers thoughtfully. "But I think perhaps you should focus on yourself... Did Principal Hall mention whether she would involve the police?" He asked cautiously, glancing at Taylor in obvious concern.

"Eh, she threatened, vaguely." Taylor said, waving his hand dismissively. "Seriously, Aleister, stop worrying. It doesn't bother _me,_ why are you letting it bother _you?"_ He said, sighing and rolling his eyes at his friends determination to be melancholy.

Aleister looked about to reply, when his phone chimed, distracting him from Taylors suspension; much to Taylors relief. The pale boy dug his phone from his pocket, but after only a brief glance at the screen, he set it face down o the counter. Taylor raised a brow, his eyes darting between the phone and Aleister's conflicted expression. "So... is this some new trend I don't know about?" He asked, his gaze flicking to the phone again pointedly, when Aleister looked over at him.

"My aunt..." He said quietly, as Taylor hummed and nodded knowingly. "She wanted me to attend a college interview this evening, and I... refused. I'm not entirely sure what to tell her." He admitted, scratching his chin idly.

"Dude, you _are_ allowed to say no to stuff, believe it or not." Taylor snorted, chuckling to himself for a moment, before studying his friend with a thoughtful frown. "Hey, how'd this even happen anyway? I thought you threw all those bottles away..."

"Indeed, I did. You _saw_ me." Aleister confirmed, scowling at the table mutinously. "But, when I opened my locker; there they were, none the less. Along with a few _dozen_ of their friends." He scoffed, shaking his head dejectedly. "I would say that Principal Hall being there at that particular moment was just, an unlucky coincidence... But I no longer believe in coincidence when it comes to Mr. Red and his interference. But, that was merely overkill, if you wish _my_ opinion."

"Heh, you'd think she would see that whole scene as a set up..." Taylor huffed, shaking his head ruefully. "I mean, who exactly would be stupid enough to keep a big pile of pills in their locker..? Other than Craig, I mean."

"It probably did not help that you were stuffing them into your bag, as well as the locker." Aleister said, shaking his head in disapproval. "If those bottles had actually had my name on... You would not be in this position." He said slowly, his fingers brushing over the countertop, tracing a pattern someone had scratched into it.

"No... but _you_ would." Taylor reminded, shrugging his shoulders when Aleister threw him a withering glance. "What can I say? I'm an optimist today." He said, spreading his palms and snickering, as Aleister rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps if there had not been quite so many, we could petition that it was a brief slip of judgement-" Aleister pondered aloud, rubbing his eyes vigorously until Taylor gently pried his hands away.

"Dude... There's no way you can make any of this better." He said quietly, smiling softly as he shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay, Aleister. _Really."_

Aleister sighed, his hand twisting and squeezing Taylors, as he shook his head slowly. "This is... I just cannot conceive how terrible a cock up I have made." He said, raising a brow as Taylor choked and covered his mouth, trying to contain his snickering. _"What?"_ He demanded suspiciously, eyeing Taylor contemptuously.

"I just... I never expected the words 'cock up' to ever come out of your mouth, dude." He admitted with an amused grin. "I mean, I'd expect something like 'a catastrophic error,' or 'an unprecedented miscalculation'..." He teased lightly, as Aleister rolled his eyes.

"Hilarious." The pale boy drawled, as Taylor snickered in amusement, though his lips twitched fondly as he continued to watch his friend from the corner of his eye.

"Okay, okay. I'll be serious." Taylor promised, raising his palms as Aleister raised a brow and eyed him in obvious disbelief. "Look, let's just give things a little perspective, shall we?" He said, spinning his still to face Aleister. "Let's say, and remember that nothings really happened yet! But, let's say that Hall drops the hammer on me... I'm talking head in the guillotine, cops, longer suspension and all that 'terrifying' stuff..." He said, fighting to keep a straight face. Aleister's already pale complexion paled further, a spark of panic lighting his eyes, until Taylor pat his shoulder comfortingly; and he seemed to relax slightly again. "What exactly is my worst case scenario, here?" He asked, raising his brows playfully. "I mean, hell... I could just drop out, and become an artiste."

"Of all the absurd-!" Aleister scoffed, shaking his head as he scowled at Taylor in a complex mixture of what appeared to be irritation, amusement and disbelief.

Taylor snorted, laughint at Aleister's grimace and lingering uncertainty. "Oh, come on, who needs school really? I can get a job at a coffee shop, buy some paint brushes. I could even grow a beard..." He added, scrubbing his hand across his chin thoughtfully.

"It takes somewhat more than that to become and actual artist, Taylor." Aleister sighed, rubbing his eyes as if Taylors theories were physically exhausting him. "Such as _talent,_ perhaps?"

"Quinn has talent, I'll leave the skilled stuff to her." Taylor said dismissively, sniggering as he winked at Aleister playfully. "I'll stick to selling stick men in rude positions."

Aleister chuckled despite his best efforts, shaking his head as he looked Taylor over curiously. "But, don't you wish to go to college?" He asked, frowning when Taylor shrugged and glanced away.

"It's never really been that much of a big deal to me, to be honest." He said lightly, an unamused huff of dry laughter escaping him as he clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "I guess I might still apply, but its not the be all and end all, dude." He said, turning to Aleister with a cheerful grin which did not meet his deep blue eyes. "It's _just_ college." He said, shrugging his shoulders apathetically.

Aleister examined him for several long seconds, seeming to consider his words carefully; weighing them for honesty, and finally seeming content that Taylor was not merely making light of the situation for his sake. "I find myself, envious... of you, Taylor." He admitted quietly, lowering his piercing gaze to the countertop as Taylor blinked in surprise. "... none of those are options for me." Aleister explained slowly, almost cautiously. "I am supposed to attend Princeton... I fully expect my aunt should have an aneurysm, should I fail to gain a place."

"Uh huh..." Taylor drawled slowly, frowning as he looked over at Aleister, as he nudged his shoulder gently. "But, what about _you?"_  

"Pardon?" Aleister asked, turning toward Taylor with a raised brow. "What _about_ me?" He demanded stiffly.

"I mean, do you _want_ to go to Princeton?" Taylor clarified, snickering at Aleister as he balked and began to tap his fingers to the table in a familiar agitated beat.

"Why would I _not_ wish to?" Aleister asked quickly, his shoulders hunching defensively. "After all, it's one of the most distinguished schools in the country. Anyone would be lucky to attend." He said firmly, reciting the words which he'd heard throughout his life.

 _"Buuut,_ we're not talking about _anyone..."_ Taylor said leadingly, raising his brow as he examined Aleister intently. "We're talking about _you._ What school do _you_ want to go to?"

"I..." Aleister balked, his eyes widened by shock, as he looked over at Taylor as if he'd just spoken to him in Latin, although Taylor was sure his friend would have understood him if he actually had. "I hardly see what that has to do with anything."

"Oh, yeah you're right, not much..." Taylor hummed, feigning a thoughtful expression before rolling his eyes at his friend. "Only... _Everything."_ He scoffed sarcastically, shaking his head as he frowned at Aleister worriedly. "Dude, I think you're letting your aunt run your life... I mean, I get it; you want to do your best for your parents, to prove yourself worthy, especially when they're both gone..." He said, swallowing thickly as he averted his gaze, hoping to hide the stab of pain in his heart. "But, I don't think they'd want this for you... I mean, is there _anything_ that you choose for yourself?"

"Of _course_ there is!" Aleister sneered, narrowing his eyes at Taylor briefly before looking away, his cheeks dusting with pink as his haughty expression faltered. "I mean, I... I picked one of the pizza's toppings. And... my sweater." He said, glancing down and smoothing the worn, white fabric with a faint frown. "... On second thoughts, this may have been a Christmas gift one year." He admitted, stiffening as he stared into the distance with a frown. He grimaced, glancing at Taylor with a distressed gleam to his gaze. "I... have been living the life of another, haven't I?"

Taylor felt his heart melt, his hand settling on Aleister's arm in support, as his friends tall frame sagged suddenly. Aleister ran a hand through his hair, breaking up the meticulously combed waves, as he laughed humourlessly. "This is _ridiculous..."_ He scoffed, his gaze distant as he appeared to stare into his very future. "What _am_ I even doing? Working so diligently for a place in a school which, I'm not even certain I wish to attend..." He turned to Taylor with an outraged, vaguely horrified expression, his eyes glittering with amusement as he appeared to realise something. "Were you aware I'm chair of the _knitting club_ , Taylor?"

"Gonna be honest here, dude..." Taylor said, spreading his palms as he grinned. "I did not even know we _had_ a knitting club." He said, chuckling as Aleister began to laugh. The pale boys laughter was quiet at first, reserved and cautious; but within a moment his reservations fell away, and he began to laugh louder, the sound infectious and encouraging Taylor to join him. 

Taylor couldn't remember the last time he had seen his friend laugh so freely, and his heart lightened to see Aleister's rigid control finally loosen ita hold upon him. Finally, the pale boys laughter tapered into dry chuckles, and he looked at Taylor with such a genuine smile, that Taylor felt his suspension was quite possibly the highest achievement of his life. "I am not sure I could have remained so calm in your position, Taylor, in fact I'm _positive_ I would not... But, I believe I shall heed your advice concerning my own position." Aleister said warmly, shaking his head as he smiled softly. "Perhaps, some good can come of this day. Instead of treating this as the end of the world, I shall consider it a new beginning. One, of my own choosing." He said, shaking his head as he drew in a deep, cleansing breath. "Thankyou, Taylor. I... I feel like a new person." He admitted, excitement shining his eyes as he leaned closer. For the first time since they had ceased playing together as children, Taylor found his friend to look genuinely carefree. He smiled, about to congratulate his friend, when he was surprised by Aleister's hand on the back of his neck, drawing him into a firm kiss. 

Taylor froze, his heart lurching as he recalled his last kiss, just a few days before. After a moment, he pulled away gently, averting his eyes as his cheeks burnt guiltily. "Well, new Aleister seems to have quite the confidence boost. Heh, I like him." He said, clearing his throat as he forced a smile to his face, avidly pushing away the thoughts which tried to rise, of a pilot and his heated kisses. 

"I'm warming to him myself." Aleister drawled, his brow rising slightly as he seemed to sense Taylors discomfort. "I did not mean to-"

"No, don't... I mean, it was good, I just... surprised." Taylor hedged weakly, flashing his friend an apologetic smile. "My heads not exactly at its best just now, and I... I just think I'm better off not leading anyone on right now..." He said awkwardly, biting his lip as he glanced up at Aleister.

The pale boy was silent for a long pause, before a soft smile graced his face and he nodded gently. "A wise deduction." He said, tapping the countertop briefly, before glancing back at Taylor. "Rebecca's brother is a lucky-"

Taylors heart lurched at his friends words, uncertain he was truly ready to hear them. However, Aleister was startled from whatever he was about to say, by the sound of a bell dinging. Taylor leapt to his feet as a stack of pizza boxes were placed in front of them, hurriedly drawing out his wallet and tossing some money on the counter, before stuffing it back into his pocket and grabbing the pizzas. _"Ahem..._ We should really, uh, get these back... before they, get cold." He said, smiling as convincingly as he was able.

"Yes, I suppose we should." Aleister said slowly, eyeing Taylor with such a piercing gaze that Taylor lowered his eyes briefly, terrified his friend could in fact see straight through his façade to his true feelings. After another moment, he seemed to shake himself from his thoughts, smiling as he too got to his feet. He reached for his phone, as it buzzed once again, and he tensed as he slowly picked the device up.

"Your aunt again..?" Taylor guessed, biting his lip as he glanced down at the pizzas he held. "Do you wanna get that? I can wait outside... Or, you could just drop me at the library, if you wanna go-"

"Do I want to get it..." Aleister repeated slowly, staring at the name on his screen thoughtfully. After a moment, he looked up at Taylor with a small, mischievous grin. "You know something, Taylor? I don't believe I do wish to..." He said, thumbing the reject button, much to Taylors amusement. "I believe my rebellious phase is long overdue." He said, chuckling as Taylor grinned broadly.

"Now you're _really_ living on the wild side." Taylor snickered, as Aleister moved to open the door, allowing Taylor to pass through before quickly following him to his car and helping him into the passenger seat. "Hey, Aleister..?" Taylor asked suddenly, as the pale boy sat down in his own seat and started the engine. "You realise Raj and Sean are gonna eat most of this themselves..?" He said, frowning as he remembered his friends huge appetites.

Aleister chuckled, surprising a laugh out of Taylor when he winked conspiratorially. "Let them try." He said with a smirk, steering the car back towards the library.

They strolled in through the doors not ten minutes later, and Taylor laughed as Sean and Raj practically launched themselves over the table to collect the pizza boxes. He shared a brief smile with Aleister, as everyone dove into the pizzas, before noticing Rebecca still sat at the end of the table. He glanced at his pale friend, catching his eye as he stepped around him. "Save us some, yeah?" He asked, gesturing to Rebecca as the pale boy frowned.

"Ah." Aleister said stiffly, nodding to Taylor in sudden understanding. "Of course, Taylor. And good luck." He said, patting Taylors shoulder quickly, before moving over to the table, barking at Sean and Raj about sharing the pizzas around everyone, and ordering some be set aside. 

"Hey, gorgeous. You comin'?" Taylor asked, tugging gently at the end of Rebecca's ponytail, as he crouched beside her.

"Hmm?" She hummed, a small smile flashing briefly as she turned to him in surprise. "Oh. Ya back..." She said, patting his hand affectionately as he chuckled quietly.

"C'mon. You, me, coffee. _Now."_ He said, grinning as he hopped to his feet, while the redhead stared at him another moment, before breaking into a wide smile.

"Well damn, how can I refuse such an eloquent invitation?" She huffed, rising from her chair and gripping his hand gratefully. He winked at her, and tugged her around the table, stepping back towards the doors.

"Ooh, can you bring me a chai?" Quinn called, her eyes bright with eagerness, as she took a bite of pizza and half covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Sure thing." Taylor called back, raising a hand in farewell, as Rebecca quickly gathered ger things. "Everyone text us your orders." He said, linking his arm with Rebecca's as they headed outside and walked down the street to the coffee shop. Taylor opened the door for Rebecca, digging out his phone to check the others requests as he followed her inside, before moving to the counter to place the order. 

While they waited for their various drinks, he and Rebecca climbed into a corner booth, where Rebecca sighed and immediately rest her forehead against the table. "Uh, Becca..?" He said tentatively, biting his lip as he gently shook her shoulder.

"Taylor, please don't start." She sighed, cutting him off before he could continue. "I know you just want to cheer me up, and I appreciate you letting me hide out at yours; not to mention the comforting ice cream binge, but now I really-"

"Dude, I was literally just gonna tell you that I don't think this tables been cleaned..." He said, smirking as he flicked a crumb of biscuit across the table to bounce off her nose. "It's like, covered in crumbs."

 _"Ew!"_ Rebecca choked, sitting up sharply and swiping a hand across her forehead vigorously. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she leaned back against the  back of the booth instead. "Of course." She groaned, rolling her head against the backboard. "The toasted crumble on the crap pudding which is today."

"So, I'm gonna go ahead and guess that video is still on your mind..?" Taylor hummed thoughtfully, flashing her am innocent smile when she turned to him with a withering glare. He opened his mouth to continue, when someone walked past, and a snippet of Rebecca's voice drifted to them from the tinny speakers of their phone.

 _"... both having affairs, and they don't even_..."

They were silent for a moment, before Rebecca sighed again and scowled at Taylor as if he'd summoned the passer by deliberately. "Video? What videos that, Taylor? The one the entire town got by the looks of it? No way, not thinking about that at all." She muttered acerbically, rolling her eyes at his conspiratorial wink.

"C'mon, Becca..." He said lightly, nudging her with his elbow gently. "It's not as bad as it seems... Really!" He enthused, as Rebecca stared at him in flat disbelief. "I bet that in a couple of days, everyone will forget about-"

He fell silent as a passerby spoke in a loud whisper to their friend, though they thankfully didn't appear to notice Rebecca sitting with Taylor. " _Yikes! Mayor McKenzie is gonna have her hands full with this one_..." They said, waving their phone in emphasis.

Rebecca turned to Taylor, her brow raised as she plastered on a sickeningly sweet, entirely false smile. "I'm sorry, Taylor... What were ya just sayin'? I couldn't hear ya over my life collapsin' all around me."

"Okay, so... It's pretty bad." Taylor admitted dryly, wincing as Rebecca rolled her eyes and snorted. "But, it's not the end of the world." He added, nudging her gently with his elbow.

"Are ya sure 'bout that?" She huffed, shaking her head despondently. "'Cause it _definitely_ feels like it." She said, drawing in a deep breath as she swept a palm over the table, before resting her elbows atop it and rubbing her face tiredly. "This is my family we're talkin' about, Taylor. Mom's gonna be pissed, Dad's gonna be so disappointed, and _Jake..."_ Taylor winced and glanced away at the mention of her brother, his pulse quickening as he tried to swallow away the bitter sting of loss in the back of his throat. "Ugh, he's gonna be so upset I didn't tell him about this..."

"Jake will understand. You know he will. He loves you more than anything... He'll just be worried about you." Taylor said softly, clearing his throat before looking back at Rebecca with a strained smile. "Have you spoken to him..?"

"Pfft, _no."_ Rebecca scoffed, raising her brows as she turned to him incredulously. "I ain't gonna either. He can keep callin' all he wants, I ain't answerin'. As of now, I am officially runnin' away to live at your house."

"Becca..." Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Look, you're more than welcome at mine whenever, you know that... But you shouldn't try and run away from your family." He said, drumming his fingers against the table top awkwardly, as his heart lurched in his chest. "Jake just wants to be there for you. And as for your parents; they'll forgive you!" He said assuredly, smiling at Rebecca wistfully. "That's, what family's... supposed to do, right?" He hedged, pleased when Rebecca failed to notice his uncertainty.

"My Mom is _soooo_ not the forgivin' type." Rebecca scoffed, narrowing her eyes as she flicked rogue crumbs off the edge of the table. "When I was eight, I spilled juice on one of her cashmere sweaters... She made me pay for it out of my allowance."

 _"Ouch..."_ Taylor yelped, his eyes wide as he recalled the price tags he'd seen attached to cashmere in stores. "That can't have been cheap."

"She set me up with a very reasonable, three year repayment plan." Rebecca snorted bitterly, shaking her head as Taylor squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"Okay..." He hedged, biting his lip as he tried for a moment to imagine having such an involved parent. "So your mom's a little strict and... frugal. But," he paused, taking her hand in his own and squeezing it as he smiled softly. "She's not a monster, Becca... She _does_ care about you. Even if she's not perfect."

"Yeah..." Rebecca sighed reluctantly, running her free hand over her ponytail. "Yeah, that's true, I guess." She said, frowning pensively at the table top.

Taylor watched her for a moment, allowing her a moment to actually accept the idea. "Besides," he finally said, jostling her playfully. "We've faced a _lot_ worse than your mom at this point." He snickered, throwing her a lopsided grin.

"Okay, that's _definitely_ true. But-" Rebecca trailed off, falling silent for a moment as a group of their school year passed their table. She turned away from them, shielding her face.

Taylors heart lurched for his friend, and he leaned closer to her, squeezing her hand again gently. "Listen to me." He said firmly, his free hand catching her chin and drawing her dulled grey gaze back to him. _"Everything,_ is going to be fine." He assured, smiling when Rebecca sniffed and gripped his hand tightly.

 _"How?"_ She demanded, her face falling with grief as she stared at him hopelessly. "This is going to be the biggest scandal my mom has ever dealt with... and it's _all_ my fault." She said, biting her lip to keep it from trembling.

"Hey, no it is _not."_ Taylor hissed, narrowing his eyes as he gazed back at her imploringly. "All you did was confide the truth in someone you thought was a friend... You couldn't have known this would happen, and you _definitely_ don't deserve any of this, after what Michelle put you through..." He said, shaking his head slowly, as he patted Rebecca's hand tentatively. "Your mom can only be upset, because she knows its the _truth."_ He said reassuringly. Taylor paused, leaning forward on his elbows as he released her hand, frowning as he looked down at the table top. "If you really need to blame someone... You should blame _me."_

 _"What?!"_ Rebecca demanded, her eyes widening in surprise as Taylors frown deepened, his eyes locked onto a dent in the table, as his heart clenched with guilt and remorse for all the pain his friends were being subjected to.

"If I hadn't have gone and provoked Mr. Red..." He began, swallowing thickly as he shook his head. He scoffed, stabbing his thumb nail into the dent in the table. "Hell, if I hadn't woken Mr. Red up ten years ago... None of you would be in the situations you are now. Sometimes I think you'd all have been better off never meeting me at all-"

"Hey, no, don't say that!" Rebecca said suddenly, cutting Taylor off as she grabbed his hand and ran her thumb across his knuckles, preventing him from hurting himself or damaging the table further. "This... This was all a long time comin', trust me." She said, taking a deep breath, before mustering up a weak smile. "Well, Taylor, the cat's outta the bag, in any case... I guess I gotta just suck it up and move on." She said, drawing Taylors hand to her lips and kissing it briefly.

"Heh, atta girl, Becca." Taylor said, smiling tiredly as he gently removed his hand from her grasp, flashing a brief glance at her, before darting his eyes away again. "I promise, it's not as bad as it seems. But even if it _were,_ you'd always have me on your side, and my house to hide in." He teased weakly, throwing her another lopsided smile.

Rebecca smiled, the first genuine smile he'd seen since the morning, and Taylor felt something in his heart relax as his friend finally seemed to relax slightly. "Thanks, Taylor. Ya seriously, the best ever." She said warmly, as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You're only saying that to get more of my ice cream tonight." He said snidely, though he slid around to a closer chair, so he could wrap his arms around her for a brief hug. "You're lucky you're adorable." He muttered, drawing a quiet chuckle from the redhead, as he released her. "I'm gonna use the bathroom while we're here. Try not to miss me too much." He said, snickering as she rolled her eyes at him.

Taylor smiled and pushed to his feet, heading to the door which led to the bathrooms, where he leaned against the wall and dug out his phone, his heart thundering in his chest loudly, as he debated for a moment. "I can do this..." He muttered, drawing in and holding a deep breath as he searched his contacts, before sending a quick text. **Rebecca's in the coffee shop, two doors down from the florist.** He exhaled heavily, his body instantly alight with uncertainty, nervousness and an excitement he refused to admit to. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, and peeked back around the door, slipping through to move over to the counter when he saw Rebecca was staring thoughtfully at the table.

"Hey, you're the guy with the order for-" the guy behind the counter began, distracting Taylor from his observations as he turned to the cashier, who was offering him a stack of coffee's in cardboard cup holders.

"Oh. Thanks..." He said, reaching for them and checking the labels quickly. "Wait a sec... Could you send this one to that table over there... " He said, gesturing to where Rebecca was still sat waiting for him. "Along with a... Americano, with no milk but two sugars? Thanks." He said, grabbing his wallet and paying for the additional coffee, leaving his change as a tip in the jar on the counter.

He stepped back from the counter, waiting in tense anticipation as he bounced on the balls of his feet, until finally; Jake burst into the cafe and upon taking a single look around, immediately swept his sister into a tight hug. Taylor wasted no time, hurrying forward while Rebecca was still startled, and quickly jogging down the road until he was out of sight of the coffee shop. "God... How can one guy smell so good in the middle of a crowd like that?" He muttered, running a hand through his hair in disgust, as he recalled the brief scent of the pilot which he'd caught in passing. "I am _so_ sad." He sighed, shaking his head as he continued down the road at a more leisurely pace, heading back to the library and fervently hoping; that Rebecca and Jake could fix their strained relationship.

"Okay, vultures... Caffeine for all." He called, as he strolled back into the library and over to his friends, placing the coffee's down upon the table and removing his own quickly before stepping out of the way. "What's with him..?" He asked curiously, gesturing to where Sean was groaning quietly and leaning his head on the table. 

"Dude, I told him not to try and eat a whole pizza..." Raj sniggered, grinning wickedly as he took a bite from another slice. Taylor snorted, turning back to his friend with rising amusement. He shook his head at Sean's pitiable sounds of regret, as he walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"If you were serious about that walk, now might be a good time." Taylor suggested lightly, snickering at Sean as he raised his head to reveal a faintly dazed expression. "Lucky you, I happen to be a pretty big fan of walking and am willing to keep you company... Or to just, distract you from your misery, whatever." He added, winking at his friend fondly.

Sean stared a moment later, before a look of determination flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath and stretched in his seat, grinning at Taylor gratefully. "Hell yeah." He said, pushing himself to his feet with a final groan. "If I have to sit still for one more second, I'm gonna freak out."

"Funny, it looked more like you were gonna puke." Taylor said, sniggering with Raj as Sean tipped his head in acknowledgment.

"That too." He admitted, gently bumping his shoulder to Taylors as he grabbed his coffee and Taylor grabbed a slice of the remaining pizza which Aleister had saved for him and Rebecca. Once they were satisfied they had everything they needed, the two of them moved out the front doors and out into the late afternoon sunshine.

Taylor ate his slice of pizza as they walked, while Sean grimaced and pointedly looked away until he was finished. After a brief walk, which was more of a dawdle, they found themselves in a small park a few blocks away. "So..." Taylor said, taking a dip of his coffee and sighing as the warm liquid soothed the chill trying to seep into his arms. "You want to talk?" He asked, as Sean stared at his shoes, kicking rocks off the gravel path. "Earth to Sean... Come in please, Sean." He teased, jabbing his friend in the shoulder playfully for good measure.

"Huh?" Sean huffed, looking up in surprise, as if he'd forgotten he was with Taylor at all. "Oh, sorry. I was just..." He sighed, running a hand over his hair tiredly. "Wondering if I should head back to the gym. You know, get in some practice..."

"I thought practice was cancelled today." Taylor said, frowning at Sean in confusion. "Because of... you know..." He hedged, holding up his hand and twitching his fingers like spider legs.

"Oh, yeah, there's no _official_ practice..." Sean said dismissively, shaking his head as a dark expression flitted across his face briefly. "But, I have to put in twice the work those guys do to get a second of game time..." He said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I... I can't afford not to."  Sean let out a weary sigh, sagging heavily onto a nearby bench.

Taylor paused for a moment, before settling down next to him. "This is really bugging you, huh?" He asked, as he set his almost empty coffee down at his feet. "Sean..." He began, before hesitating, not sure there were any words that could actually help his friend feel better. He perked suddenly, half turning to face Sean with a goofy grin. "Would a shoulder rub help?" 

 _"What?!"_ Sean choked, looking up at him as his eyes widened in surprise, the barest hint of a smile curling at the edge of his lips.

"You look like you could use one." Taylor said innocently, before he winked at Sean conspiratorially and leaned closer to whisper theatrically. "Your... very toned muscles seem tense." He snickered.

"Heh..." Sean huffed, shaking his head at Taylors attempts to cheer him. "As it happens, my very toned muscles would love a shoulder rub." He said, as Taylor grinned and hopped to his feet on the bench, sitting on the backrest as he slipped around behind Sean and began to massage his shoulders. For a brief moment, the corner of Sean's lips quirked upward, before he sighed again and fell into a melancholic silence once more.

"Dude, c'mon. I'm giving you magic hands and everything, here." Taylor groused playfully, trying to tease Sean back into a healthier mood. "I'm doing my best, man..." He said leadingly, peeking around Sean's shoulder to find him still looking pensive. His face fell slightly, as he kneaded at Sean's shoulders. "What's on your mind..?" He asked gently.

"Nothing. It's just..." Sean hunched over, the heels of his palms digging into his eyes as his façade of strength finally began to crumble. "It's _everything,_ all of it!" He choked, shaking his head dismally. "It's all just so messed up, Taylor..." Taylor squeezed Sean's shoulders gently, encouraging him to continue and finally give vent to the feelings he'd been bottling up within himself. "For one second, everything was so perfect. I was exactly where I wanted to be, doing exactly what I wanted to do; after all that hard work and waiting, I finally got to be the person I'd been trying to prove I could be..." The sports star said longingly, staring at a nearby fountain with a wistful look in his eye, though it quickly twisted into something bitter.

"But then, Ben got worse..." Sean said thickly, lowering his gaze to the floor as he shook his head absently. "And then Tom... he..." Sean's shoulders tensed again beneath Taylors palms and he shifted closer to the athlete, wrapping his arms around Sean's torso as he nestled his head in the space between Sean's neck and shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Sean..." Taylor sighed, squeezing his friend gently as he swallowed heavily, his chin digging into the athletes shoulder briefly. Sean shifted his weight after a moment, moving aside so he could wrap his arm around Taylors waist and draw him close to his side and rest his cheek atop Taylors head.

"... what if he never wakes up?" Sean asked uncertainly, causing Taylor to jerk away from him, his eyes wide as his hand found and squeezed Sean's hand.

"Dude, don't say that!" He yelped, shaking his head vehemently. "They got the venom out of his system! He's doing okay..." He hedged, wincing as Sean's expression darkened.

"He's _not_ doing okay, Taylor." He said bitterly, his free hand balling into a fist.  "He still hasn't woken up. Just like Craig..." He said, his eyes squeezing shut with guilt.

"Well, they're damn well _going_ _to be_ fine!" Taylor said firmly, his fingers capturing Sean's chin and jerking his face toward him, surprising him enough that his eyes opened suddenly. "Because if _they're_ not fine, then..." He paused, swallowing thickly at the painful stab of fear which sliced through his heart. "Then _Diego's_ not fine. And I _refuse_ to let that happen." He said determinedly, his gaze hardening as Sean blinked at him in surprise. "Even if I have to face Mr. Red alone again."

"I refuse to let _that_ happen." Sean said,  his hand clutching carefully at Taylors, as he glanced down the the still charred flesh of his wrist. "And... I'm _really_ sorry, I wasn't there with you the first time." He added, wincing as Taylor shrugged nonchalantly and averted his gaze.

"I'm sorry I woke up a mean spirited, forest entity when we were kids." He said, frowning briefly as he cocked his head. "And, that I pissed it off as a sorta, almost adult." He added, glancing back at Sean with a humourless, lopsided smile. "I guess we're both equally sorry in this scenario."

"Both equally at fault perhaps..." Sean said, frowning as Taylor avidly shook his head.

"Oh no, sorry, I already claimed all of that." He said lightly, narrowing his eyes at the fountain briefly. "You'll just have to suck it up, Gayle. This is one scenario you won't ever be allowed to feel guilty for." He said, straightening himself as he sat stiffly beside his friend on the bench. "We'll figure this out, Sean. We'll get Tom back. I _promise."_ He said determinedly, gripping the bench beneath him tightly.

"... Yeah." Sean sighed finally, seeming to sense he wouldn't divert Taylors sense of guilt and instead deciding to focus on the positive's he'd been given. "I know we will. 'Cause you're unstoppable." He said, gently cupping Taylors cheek and drawing his face toward him again. Taylor blinked, glancing around as the sun began to set over the trees, giving everything a faint pink glow. He was so distracted by the environment, he didn't notice Sean leaning closer cautiously, until the sports star brushed his lips softly against his own.

He froze, his eyes widening in surprise as Sean's hand slid from his cheek to the back of his neck, the pressure against his lips increasing as the athlete drew him closer. His heart stuttered, his mind almost blanking out all sensible reasoning, as he nearly gave himself over to the offered comfort. "Taylor..." As Sean murmured his name however, moving to kiss his jaw instead of his lips, he regained control of his body, and gently pressed his hand to his friends chest.

He extracted himself from Sean's embrace gently, his hand lingering on Sean's shoulder a moment as he pushed to his feet and stretched. "You uh, you ready to head back?" He asked, biting his lip guiltily as he peeked at Sean from beneath his lashes.

Sean examined him for a moment, his brow creased in concern, before finally breaking into a fond smile and rising to his feet himself. "Yeah, I think so." He said, folding an arm around Taylors shoulder reassuringly. Thanks for walking with me, Taylor."

"Anytime, dude." He said lightly, relief easing his tense shoulders, as Sean smiled at him warmly, clearly not offended by Taylors hesitance. "Walking buddy, masseuse and friendly ear; all in one." He teased, as Sean chuckled and gently began to steer him back towards the library. "Oh, wait!" He cried, dipping free of Sean's arm and scooting back to the bench, grabbing his coffee from the floor.

"... Isn't that almost finished?" Sean asked, eyeing the cup dubiously as Taylor downed the final few gulps eagerly.

"Mmhm..." He hummed in confirmation, smiling as he used his finger to collect a large scoop of foam. "But that's the best part..." He added enthusiastically, sucking his finger clean while Sean shook his head and rolled his eyes, as they proceeded back to the library and their friends.

They strolled in the front doors together, where Taylor paused to toss away his empty coffee cup. He walked over to the table where his friends were sat, looking around tentatively, until he realised Rebecca still wasn't back. He sighed in relief, and was about to sit and begin work again, when he realised that his friend might well return with her brother escorting her. He bit his lip, debating the merit of hiding at a corner table, when he caught sight of Zahra, scowling as she carved into the table with her small boot knife. 

 _Hmm, well... When avoiding painful, yet undeniably sexy encounters; at least make it involve something fun, like breaking stuff_... He thought, walking over to Zahra quickly and clearing his throat. "Pardon me for intruding on your destruction of the library's property, Snape, but... I believe you mentioned something about breaking stuff... with a hammer?" Taylor said playfully, winking as Zahra looked up at him in surprise.

She broke out in a grin, rising from her seat and placing her foot on the table, as she returned her knife to her boot. "That I did." She said, smirking as she moved around the table and grabbed him by the hand. "Follow me..." She ordered, as Taylor snickered and waved at the others as he passed.

Zahra led him out of the library and down the road, taking a right turn and following a path toward what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. He eyed the building dubiously, biting his lip as his heart skipped a beat nervously. Zahra led him around to the back of the building, where she released his hand and disappeared inside via a glassless window pane.

"Oh boy..." Taylor gulped, drawing in a deep breath as he scrambled up the wall to grab the windowsill, pulling himself up and shimmying in after his friend. When he dropped to the floor on the other side, a cloud of dust exploded around him. _"Ack!"_ He coughed, swatting at the dust with a frown.

"Took you long enough to climb that wall." Zahra drawled, watching him from where she leaned against the opposite wall. "It's like you've never trespassed before." She sneered, smirking as Taylor sniffed and sauntered over.

"Geez, Little Miss Vandal, cut me a break why don'tcha." He huffed, smiling as Zahra pushed off from the wall and walked over to the far corner, picking up a rusty sledgehammer and hefting it over her shoulder. _"Whoa..._ A sledgehammer, huh?" He said, eyeing the massive tool with an appreciative hum. "You must have _amazing_ biceps." He said, snickering when Zahra almost dropped her weapon of choice in surprise.

 _"Pfft..._ Are you kidding?" She scoffed, raising one arm to show off her lack of muscle. "These little things?" She demanded, shaking her head at his foolishness.

"Are you flexing right now?" Taylor asked, eyeing her petite but strong arm thoughtfully as he continued his playful teasing. "You're _totally_ flexing."

 _"No!_ I..." Zahra snorted, shaking her head again as her cheeks flushed faintly. "Shut up, Taylor. You wanna do this, or not?" She said roughly, gesturing across the room to a pile of cinder blocks, empty glass bottles and paint cans, amidst the rest of the rubble. "... You want the first shot?" She asked, offering Taylor the sledgehammer.

Taylor hesitated only a second, before breaking out in a wide grin and carefully taking the heavy tool from her grasp. Zahra smirked, as she took several steps back, allowing him a clear space as she raised a brow expectantly. Taylor grinned as he reared back and swung the sledgehammer down on a wooden crate, spraying wood chips across the concrete floor. _"Whoa!"_ He gasped, as a rush of power raced up his spine and caused him to shiver.

"Rad." Zahra said, clicking her tongue thoughtfully as she eyed his mess. She turned her eyes to Taylor, her crimson contacts flashing as she smirked and held our her hand. "Here, let me show you how it's done." She insisted, as Taylor handed her the sledgehammer back and moved aside to where she'd observed from.

"... You really come here a lot, don't you?" He asked, frowning slightly as he watched Zahra decide where she could cause the most destruction.

"Yeah, I guess so." She admitted, flicking her Mohawk from her eyes distractedly. "Just... whenever things get too much or whatever. Or the times my dad starts pissing me off, and I can't just sit in my room and hack shit on my laptop."

"Your dad?" Taylor said, his brow furrowing further in surprise and confusion. "He always seemed like a nice guy to me..." He admitted, his heart thudding against his chest guiltily as he saw Zahra's jaw clench tightly. _I guess I'm hardly one to judge anyone else's parents... Given how mine are, everyone else automatically seem at the very least decent to me_. He thought, biting his lip as Zahra brought the large sledgehammer down on a cinder block, caving in the side.

"Yeah, he's nice alright." She scoffed, scowling as she extracted the sledgehammer from the destruction she'd begun to wreak. "Nice to everyone but his _creeeepy_ kid." She sneered, pausing as she frowned and cocked her head thoughtfully. "Sometimes I wonder what kind of person I'd be, if my dad weren't so... I don't know..."

"So... Strict?" Taylor hedged, his brow furrowing as his friend seemed to struggle with how much she wanted to actually reveal. He bit his lip, considering his own parents and their lack of presence in his life, wondering how different things might be if they instead showed too much interest. "Having a sheriff for a dad must be pretty tough..." He said distractedly, shaking his head as he pushed aside thoughts of his parents to refocus on his friend.

"It's not just that..." Zahra sighed, running a hand through her hair irritably, as she glanced over at Taylor with a small frown. "You know, I really love all this creepy, ghostly stuff."

"Uh, _duh."_ He snorted, grinning at her fondly. "It's been like that since we were kids... What was that show you used to be obsessed with..?" He hummed, snapping his fingers as he thought back to their pre-Redfield childhood. _"Ghost Chasers?"_

"Pfft, _used to be_?" Zahra scoffed, smirking over at him as she hefted the sledgehammer over her shoulder. "The new season starts next week!" She said proudly.

Taylor laughed quietly, leaning against a dusty wall as he shook his head fondly. "Same old Zahra." He said affectionately, tipping his chin toward her as she smashed the sledgehammer into the cinder block once again. "So, what's your point?"

Zahra's amusement faded as she moved to lean against one of the building's support beams, wiping her brow as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "My point is... Sometimes I wonder just how much of all that, is just to spite my dad." She finally admitted, turning to gaze out a broken window. "Every time I get dressed, I can hear his voice; ' _Boys don't like girls who dress like that!'_ Or, _'you gonna hex me if I ground you'?"_ She said, her expression darkening as she tightened her grip on the sledgehammer handle. "Who the _hell_ does he think he is?" She demanded, scowling into the darkening sky. "He can't tell me how to dress, or what my hair _should_ look like."

 _Whoa... I'll take negligence and hatred over this kinda bullshit_. Taylor thought, his heart swelling with sympathy for his friend. He swallowed thickly, trying hard to strain his more sympathetic feelings from his voice before responding. "He sounds..." He hedged, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Pretty overbearing."

"You don't even know the _half_ of it." Zahra scoffed, shaking her head in irritation, as she hefted the sledgehammer and slammed it into the cinder block once again.

"But," Taylor pushed, biting his lip as he paused briefly, before pressing on. "Maybe, there's another side to it... Like, maybe he thinks he's protecting you or something?" He suggested uncertainly.

"Ha! He's got a weird way of showing it. Besides," Zahra snorted, flicking her Mohawk aside as she glanced sideways at Taylor. "I don't need anyone's protection." She said firmly, blinking suddenly, as her face fell. "At least... I _didn't."_

Taylor briefly caught sight of Zahra's face scrunching up in the middle, before she quickly turned her back and began hammering away at a pile of wooden crates. "Dude... Everyone needs help sometimes. There's nothing wrong with that, Snape."

"That's _dumb."_ Zahra growled, as her hammer connected with one of the empty paint cans, crumpling it on impact. She swung at another, only for the hammer merely bounce off again.

"It's _not_ dumb..." Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes at his friends dismissal of anything even vaguely referring to emotional support. "It's just... _Life,_ I guess." He said, shrugging his free shoulder briefly, despite Zahra facing the opposite direction. "No one can do _everything_ by themselves." He said, catching a brief glimpse of Zahra's face as she moved, just in time to see a tear fall. His heart lurched painfully, as he saw another fall after it; feeling her pain despite her attempt to keep her distance.

"Not..." She said, gritting her teeth together, as she punctuated her words with blows to the paint can. "If you have..." She grit out, snarling with effort as she swung her sledgehammer even harder over her shoulders. "Magic... _powers-!"_  

With the final blow, the paint can ruptured, splattering the both of them with globs of sticky blue paint. Taylor stared down at his ruined clothes in stunned silence for a short time, before he began to laugh. He looked over at Zahra, to see her lips twitching into an unwilling smile, as she wiped away her tears. When Taylor finally got control of himself, he pushed away from the wall with a smile. "Zahra, listen to me..." He said, crossing the distance between them, and placing both hands firmly upon her shoulders. "Those powers, _aren't_ what makes you special." 

"Why do I feel like you're about to bring up snowflakes?" Zahra asked, gazing up at him suspiciously, as Taylor sniggered and struggled to keep a straight face.

"I'm trying to have a serious moment here, Snape." He scolded playfully, shaking his head in exasperation of her inability to accept any form of comfort. _"You_ are one of the most confident, exciting, headstrong and beautiful people I know... Other than me." He said, winking at her conspiratorially, as a reluctant laugh escaped her. "With all of _that,_ who needs magic powers?"

"Urgh, cut it out already." Zahra snarked, scowling as she gently extracted herself from his hold. "You're gonna make me blush, or something else as gross and girlie." She complained, though when she smiled at him the gesture was far more natural. 

Taylor grinned, sticking his fist out fir her to bump, and she snorted as she shook her head at him in feigned disapproval. "... _Seriously?"_ She asked, raising a brow in obvious amusement. _"That's_ your big idea of comforting?"

"Shut up and bump the damn fist... or else I'll do something really embarrasing, like hug you or kiss you cheek." He said dismissively, his grin only growing when Zahra grimaced and shook her head in obvious disgust. "Now come on, dude, don't leave me hanging."

Zahra rolled her eyes, snorting as she bumped her fist to his, then blew it up as she made a small explosion sound. _"Dork."_ She said fondly, before they both dissolved into laughter. After a few moments of companionable silence she finally sighed, looking up at Taylor with a reluctant grin. "As much as I hate saying this... You're right. Mr. Red can keep his stupid powers." She said.

"Everyone always sounds so surprised when they say I'm right..." Taylor sighed, shaking his head dismally, as Zahra rolled her eyes at his overly dramatic pout. 

"That's because you're an idiot." Zahra snarked, though her smirk was playful as she looked up at him. "Having said that... Thanks, Taylor. You're actually pretty good at this pep talk business."

"Just one of my many talents." Taylor sighed, wrapping his arm around Zahra's shoulder and drawing her into a one armed hug, as she yelped in surprised protest and quickly shoved herself free of his hold.

She stepped back with a scowl, though as she looked Taylor up and down, she began to laugh. "I gotta admit, I feel about ten times better..." She said, glancing down at her own stained clothes. "Let's clean as much of this paint off as we can and head back, before those nerds make a breakthrough without us."

"That's the spirit, Snape." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as Zahra returned her sledgehammer to the corner and led him back to the window. They clambered out, and she turned on a faucet attached to the outside wall around the corner, rinsing her hand after she wiped off large globs of paint as best she could with a handful of tissues which she pulled from her pocket. Taylor sniggered, but chose not to comment on her preparation, cleaning off the worst of the paint before throwing an arm around Zahra's shoulders, and making their way back to the library. 

 _"Taylor!"_ Rebecca's angry voice greeted them,as they rejoined the others, and Taylor started guiltily, as he quickly ducked behind Zahra to try and hide from the approaching redhead. 

"Oh _hell_ no, I am not getting involved in whatever this is." Zahra scoffed, moving back to her seat and allowing Rebecca free access to Taylor.

"And here I thought we really bonded during all that smashing, Snape... I'm wounded by your easy dismissal of our-" he choked off, taking a step back as he winced. "Oh, hi Becca... How ya doin'? Sorry, didn't see you there..." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as she glared at him and waited for him to finish babbling. Taylor bit his lip and lowered his gaze to the floor, shuffling his foot guiltily until finally, Rebecca sighed loudly.

"Taylor..." She said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders gently. _"Thanks..._ I oughtta be pissed at ya, but, I gotta admit... Talkin' to my brother about everythin' was actually pretty helpful." She said, drawing back as Taylor eyed her worriedly.

"I'm... not actually sorry, so I won't say it, but... I'm glad you had a chance to sort things out with him." He said, drawing her back into his arms for another brief hug.

"He was askin' about ya-" Rebecca began, until Taylor cleared his throat loudly and stepped away from her, looking over at the others as they returned to work; seeming revitalized for the food, drink and general breaks they'd managed to take.

"We should, uh... Yeah." He said, gesturing to the table as he glanced at her briefly, before hurrying past to join the others. "So... _Ahem,_ let me at those books!" He said, feigning eagerness as he tried to push away the hopeful thoughts of Jake which tried to surface in his mind.

 _"Taylor..."_ He heard Rebecca sigh sadly, before she too rejoined the table, attacking the work with renewed enthusiasm like the others; their moods infectious to each other, spurring each other on.

"Ooh, I just remembered!" Quinn gasped, grinning excitedly as she bounced up from her chair. "There's a rare books room in the back! Does someone wanna check it out with me?" She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet eagerly, as she held her arms behind her back.

"Aw _yeah,"_ Zahra said, standing and moving around the table to join Quinn. "If there are any ancient times of dark and forbidden magic in this place, that's where they'll be."

"Need someone to help carry?" Sean offered, smiling as he got to his feet and joined them. "I feel like I could lift about twenty books right now."

"Only twenty?" Rebecca teased, winking at him as she smirked from her chair. "I thought your record was twenty-five..." She said, giggling when Sean laughed and spread his palms.

"Please inform me if you encounter Volume Two of; _Westchester Through The Ages_." Aleister drawled distractedly, frowning at the book he was intently reading. "I've almost completely exhausted the first volume..." He added vaguely.

Taylor flopped into a seat beside Raj, turning towards him as the large boy nudged him with his elbow. "Pass me that book, wouldja, dude?"

"Sure thing..." Taylor replied, winking as he tossed over the book Raj had gestured to. He looked around his friends briefly, before diving back into his own research, a small but contented smile, flickering on his face.

After another hour, he was returning a book to its shelf, when he noticed Quinn sat in a corner nook; thumbing through a book with illustrations. "What'cha found, Princess?" He asked, walking over and tipping his chin at the book curiously.

"Huh?" She replied, looking up in surprise and flushing when he gestured to the book again. "Oh... It's just a children's book. I noticed it on a display and thought it was cute." She admitted, smiling up at him guiltily.

"Hey, I remember that book..!" Sean said, walking over from where he'd just returned his own book to it's shelf. "That's the one with the mud dude, right?"

"Mud dude?" Quinn gasped, her eyes widening as a cold chill travelled down Taylors spine, sweat heading on his forehead as he recalled the strange being which had pretended to be Diego, the night his friend had gone missing in the woods.

"Let me see..." Sean said, holding our his hand for the book. Once Quinn had handed it over, he quickly flipped through to find the page he remembered. "Yeah, here we go. Check it out." He said, tapping the page as Taylor swallowed thickly against the mounting sense of both dread and anticipation twisting in his gut. " _Mister Mudd, his footsteps thud and squish around the neighbourhood..._ " He paused, glancing up at Taylors knowing gaze, as his eyes widened in realisation. "Hey, wait a minute. You don't think-"

Taylor looked over Sean's shoulder to study the page, instantly recognizing a crude illustration of a familiar creature. "That's the dirt monster that attacked me in my room..." He confirmed, wrapping his arms around himself briefly, as he shivered involuntarily. He grimaced and finally held out his hand as the others began to approach, clustering around them to look at what had captured their attention so entirely. Taylor slowly flipped through the pages, revealing more familiar illustrations and poems to the group.

" _Never Trust A Bear_?" Aleister queried, raising a brow in intrigue, as he glanced over at Sean, who's face paled drastically.

 _"Spiders, Snakes and Slimy Things_?" Rebecca read aloud, her eyes widening as she gestured to the familiar looking spiders; eerily similar to those which had invaded the School during the last basketball game.

" _How To Teach A Dead Dog Tricks_?" Raj asked, frowning down at the book and shaking his head slowly. "What the hell kinda freaky kids book _is_ this, doodlejumps?"

Taylor snapped the book closed and flipped it over to view its front cover, his blood chilling unnaturally as he examined the creepy children's book. " _Things That Live In The Woods_..." He read aloud, narrowing his eyes to read the fine print at the bottom of the cover. "Poems and drawings by... Ximaedra Vaanti?" 

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Quinn asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall whatever information niggled at her mind.

"I know that name." Zahra said flatly, her crimson gaze meeting Taylors as he looked up from the book expectantly. "Ximaedra the freak..." She said, as Taylors thoughts raced back to the various times he'd heard the bane mentioned.

"How would some old crackpot know about all this stuff, dudes!?" Raj exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief, as Taylor moved back towards their table of various research materials and notes.

"I don't know..." He said, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, as he stuffed a bunch of his notebooks back inside. "But I know _one_ way to find out." He said, walking over to the counter and checking the book out.

His friends watched him silently for a moment, before Raj groaned knowingly. "We going where I think we're going?" He asked, as Taylor tucked the book into his bag.

He looked up at his friends with a determined scowl, gripping the strap of his bag tightly. "Time to pay Ximaedra a visit." He said firmly, as his friends quickly scrabbled to gather their own things.

"Okay..." Rebecca said, as they tossed the last of their notes into their bags and exited the library together. "Pick a car guys. Let's get this over with." She said, grabbing Taylors arm and guiding him to her passenger door. _"You._ Sit." She ordered, as the others quickly divided themselves between her and Aleister's car.

Taylor opened the door and sat as he was bid, chewing his lip nervously as Rebecca started the car and drove them to the edge of the town. After a tense fifteen minutes of silent driving, she pulled onto a gravel road, parking and shutting off the engine as Aleister pulled up beside her. "... Why are we stopping?" Sean asked, leaning forward from the backseat.

"There's a gate." Rebecca replied, gesturing through the windscreen. "We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way." She said, grimacing in reluctance even as Taylor opened the door and stepped out into the rapidly cooling evening air.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Raj babbled, as he got out of the car. "How could anything bad happen to a bunch of teens, all alone in the woods at night?" He continued nervously, as the others all piled out of Rebecca and Aleister's cars.

"So..." Quinn began, hesitating as she glanced around, her arms clasped around her chest tightly; though Taylor couldn't tell if it was from the cold, or fear. "Can we just... go in?"

"I'm uncertain..." Aleister said slowly, narrowing his eyes briefly, before pointing towards something he'd spotted in a tree nearby. "What does that sign say?" He asked curiously.

Zahra stomped over and carefully scrutinized the hand painted sign, which was partially obscured by a branch. "Trespassers will be..." She paused, lifting the branch to peek beneath. _"Sacrificed?"_ She cried, dropping the branch as she stepped back in surprise.

"Cool." Raj said, his voice a slightly higher pitch than usual as he nodded his head rapidly. "Cool, cool, cool..."

"We've come this far." Taylor said imploringly, scowling at the gate for a moment. "We can't give up now." He decided, strolling forward as Aleister sighed and lifted the gates rusty iron chain, allowing him to duck underneath. He took a deep breath as he straightened, looking around as his friends ducked through the gate behind him. "Okay..." He said as he exhaled heavily, glancing back at them all briefly, before leading the way up the rough dirt path. 

After a few minutes of silent walking, Taylor crouched in the brush outside a run-down cabin. Smoke curled from the chimney, as amber light flickered from the windows. "Who wants to be the brave one..?" Raj whispered, though Taylor could barely hear him over the rapid pounding of his heart.

"I'd do it..." Sean said, before hesitating and pointedly not moving. "But, I don't wanna." He admitted, lowering his gaze shamefully as Taylor glanced back at his friends.

"What if the stories are true?" Quinn asked, the first more of panic touching her voice. "What if she cooks us into little clay coffins?!" 

"Of all the ridiculous notions." Aleister sighed, rolling his eyes at Quinn, though he squeezed her hand reassuringly to counter the barb of his words. "Perhaps, we may peek inside..?"

"I'll take a look." Zahra offered, though like Sean; she remained motionless, as everyone turned towards her.

"... _Well?"_ Rebecca prompted, raising a brow at Zahra expectantly, as Taylor rolled his eyes and looked back at the cabin, his heart racing with nervous anticipation in his chest.

"... Any second now." Zahra said, so quietly that Taylor almost didn't hear her. He shook his head at their own hesitance, thinking back to the time he'd walked into the woods alone to face Redfield.

 _Okay, maybe not my best idea... But at least I wasn't hiding in some bushes_. He thought, his nerves steeling as he gripped his bag strap tightly. "I'll do it." He said, glancing back at the others briefly. "I'll knock on the door." He said, as he got to his feet.

"Taylor, _wait!"_ Raj called in an urgent whisper, though Taylor ignored him, deliberately stepping out into the clearing and climbing the porch steps. He raised his arm to knock, and sucked in a deep breath, his heart all but crashing through his chest in nervous anticipation.

"Here goes nothing." He whispered to himself, as he rapped his knuckles against the door determinedly. However, several long, tense seconds passed; and he received no answer. "H-hello..?" He tried calling instead, clearing his throat as he peeked down the side of the cabin to the window. "Miss... Ximaedra?" He called, knocking harder at the door; but still receiving no answer. "Huh... Hey, guys..?" He called, half turning towards where he'd left his friends. "I don't think she's-"

Taylor fell silent, as a familiar creature slunk around the corner from the back of the cabin. _"Gggrrrllll..."_ It snarled, its fiery eyes glowing menacingly, as the vines and bones seemed to tense in anticipation of attack.

"Holy crap..!" Sean cried, as he shot to his feet in surprise, staring at the creature as recognition flared in his eyes.

"Watch out, Taylor!" Aleister called,his eyes wide as Taylor carefully backed away ti rejoin his friends; the creature stalking forward slowly, its teeth bared.

"What do we do?" Rebecca whispered, grabbing Taylors hand and squeezing hard when he didn't respond. " _Taylor, what do we do?_!" She demanded, as Taylor shook his head in disbelief.

"I..." He began, swallowing thickly as he thought of the gruesome end which might befall any of his friends at the claws and teeth of the moss monster. Before he could formulate a full answer, the cabin door swung open, revealing a withered figure, silhouetted against the light inside.

Raj gasped, his eyes widening in recognition. "Holy crap... it's _her..."_ He choked, as Ximaedra looked over their group and then scowled, though the expression was lopsided; due to a large scar on one side of her strange, blue face.

"Looks like we've got some trespassers." She said, her voice easily carrying across to them all, as she glared at them all. "You've got _thirty seconds_ to tell me what yer business is... before I let my dog rip you to pieces." 


	15. You Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made myself veh late for eork, determined to edit and post this ROGHT NOW DAMMIT lol  
> I just wanna say, thankyou everyone for being so awesome and supportive and thabkypu to everyone who checked on ne and let me cry on them after my traumatic weekend - i wanted to finish this up for you guys in thanks...
> 
> I truly, love you all - ypure so amazing... ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**15.**

**You Again**.

Taylor and his friends remained frozen, rooted to the ground in front of an old wooden shack, staring in fearful disbelief into the snarling face of a mossy creature with burning eyes. "Nobody... move..." Taylor whispered, standing between his friends and the monster, at the open doorway of the small wooden shack.

"We can't just stand here!" Rebecca shot back, a tremor of urgency in her whispered voice. "We've gotta do somethin'!"

"Do _what?!"_ Aleister demanded, shielding Quinn and Zahra as best as he could with his body. "That thing is huge!"

Behind the fierce and menacing creature, Ximaedra Vaanti, otherwise known as 'the freak,' glared at them with her arms folded over her chest. "Well?" She demanded, her one good eye locked onto Taylor, hole her ruined eye seemed to stare vacantly through them all. "Is one of you prepared to answer me, and explain just what yer doing here in the middle of the night?" She asked, her lips thinning to a grimace of distaste. "Or are we to di this the 'hard way'?"

"Is... the hard way, getting eaten by your creepy skeleton monster?" Quinn asked, swallowing heavily as she beheld the mossy creature for the first time.

"Don't be simple." Ximaedra scoffed, rolling her good eye in exasperation. "Ugly thing has no stomach..." She said, pausing as she shrugged a shoulder dismissively. "He'll just chew you up and spit you out somewhere." She sniffed disdainfully, scowling at them all irritably. "Somewhere off my property." She added pointedly.

"Welp, this is totally awesome." Zahra sneered, narrowing her eyes at Ximaedra in irritation. "We finally have a lead, and now her creepy pet is gonna maim and kill Taylor." She added dryly, smirking when Taylor yelped and glanced at her. "Okay, fine... It's gonna kill us."

"If we scatter, it can't kill all of us... right?" Sean asked, ignoring Zahra's teasing as he eyed the monster with obvious calculation.

"Let's get outta here, doodlejumps!" Raj insisted, trying to shepherd his friends back towards path back to the cars. "If she can control that monster, she's probably in league with _him_ "

 _"'Him'?"_ Ximaedra demanded, frowning as her eye fell upon Raj's terrified expression. "What sort of nonsense are you... oh." She paused, her good eye widening as he looked over them all slowly. "Oh _hell."_ She said as she whistled sharply, causing the mossy creature to back down. "It's _you,_ isn't it?" She demanded, her scowl returning as she locked her limited sight onto Taylor. "You're the idiots who went and woke up _The Power_..."

Taylor blinked, taken by surprise by her easy reference to their most closely guarded secret. "... So, you really _do_ know about him!" He sighed, sagging in relief as his eyes stung and his throat constricted with hope. 

"Please, we're sorry for trespassin', but..." Rebecca began, cautiously approaching Taylors side as he seemed to struggle to keep his composure in the face of the old woman's revelation. "We need ya help."

"Werl are somewhat, desperate... in fact." Aleister added, stepping closer to the pair and slightly in front of them, unwilling to leave his friends unprotected and so vulnerable. "Any information you could give us about Redfield's history; or his power, would be inexplicably helpful to us." 

 _"History?"_ Ximaedra scoffed, her expression darkening slightly as her one good eye fell upon Aleister. "I'll do you one better than that that. I'm gonna tell yer how to lock that bastard away for good." She sneered, faltering briefly as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "... And, I suppose _you_ of all people deserves an explanation." She added, as Aleister glanced back to Taylor, reaching out to squeeze his arm reassuringly when Taylor appeared to waver slightly on his feet; his shock giving way to hope and an eagerness so profound he almost felt nauseous from the intensity of it.

Ximaedra turned, shuffling back into her cabin and motioning for them to follow her. _This could finally... finally be over. Really over_... Taylor thought, taking a deep breath as he moved after the old woman. His heart lurched briefly in excitement, as he walked past the various dark shelves which lined the walls; neatly packed with strange stones, dusty tomes, bottles of herbs and skulls. "Wow..." Taylor murmured, looking around in awe. "This is... interesting."

"I want this house to be _my_ house.' Zahra said firmly, strolling in confidently before she began to examine the tomes with unconcealed greed and desire, just reaching for one when the elderly woman spun towards her.

"Don't _touch_ anything!" She barked, causing Zahra to reluctantly drop her hand to her side, scowling at Ximaedra briefly, before huffing an irritated sigh and settling on pouting longingly at them.

Meanwhile, Aleister grimaced as he examined a jar with some kind of preserved organ, floating within. "Fine by me, madam." He sneered, as Ximaedra bustled about a small stove and began to pour several cups from a cast iron teapot, handing one to everyone when she was finished.

Taylor discreetly sniffed his cup, wrinkling his nose at the bitter aroma. "Um, is this... Earl Grey?" He asked curiously, biting his lip at the look of frustration which crossed the withered crone's face.

"Does this look like some kind of princessy tea house to you?" Ximaedra demanded, rolling her good eye and shaking her head. "Drink your damn tea. Or give it to the dog. I don't care." She said, as she eased herself into a well worn armchair, her strange creature settling on the floor beside her like a typical, faithful hound.

Silence stretched awkwardly, as Taylor and the others found themselves perches or space on the floor to sit. He glanced around then all, as they sipped experimentally at their tea, and looked back at him; unsure of how to proceed. Finally, Quinn took a deep breath and broke the silence around them. "Miss... Vaanti?" She called hesitantly, wincing at the tentative call. "I couldn't help but notice... it sounded like you knew who we were."

"Of course I do." Ximaedra replied, waving a hand dismissively, as she drank her tea. "Power's been sleeping quiet these past ten years, but I knew someone had broken the spell that bound it."

"If that's true..." Rebecca began, frowning from where she sat on the floor beside Quinn, just beside the stove. "Why didn't you come and find us?"

"Yeah, why wait 'til we came to you..?" Sean agreed, his gentle eyes oddly distrusting as he watched Ximaedra scoffed and rolled her good eye.

"'Cause The Power _knows_ me, boy." She snarked, scowling around them all irritably. "I've only survived this long, because I know how to hide from it." She said, moving to take another sip of her tea, but hesitating as she looked around them curiously. "How'd you finally find me, anyway?"

"We found this at the library..." Taylor explained, reaching into his bag and pulling out the picture book she'd written. He held it up, and she snorted as she finally took her sip of tea.

"Took yer long enough." She sneered, shaking her head as she frowned at him. "I published that damn book eight years ago. Won an award and everything." She scoffed, huffing an almost laugh of derision. "Figured as soon as you recognised the creatures in there, you'd come running... Guess I overestimated you."

"Uh... sorry." Taylor hedged, glancing around his friends briefly, as he re-stowed the book into his bag. Ximaedra grunted and returned to sipping her tea as she silently scrutinized them, while Zahra tossed her own back in a single swallow, before holding her cup out fir a refill.

"Okay." She said, narrowing her eyes expectantly. "You said 'The Power' knows you... What, exactly, does that mean?" She asked, meeting Ximaedra's gaze unflinchingly when the crone turned towards her.

"This one pays attention." She praised, a small smile twitching at her lips. "I _like_ her." She said, waving towards the teapot for Zahra to refill her own cup.

"Teacher's pet." Raj whispered, coughing to hide his words, as Zahra flashed him her middle finger while stepping away from the stove.

"Most of my life, I've been part of a group that watches over these woods... and The Power that lives inside." Ximaedra explained slowly, as if trying to recall how a favourite story began. "We guarded The Power, and kept it secret... In return, it took care of us."

"You mean..." Taylor said, his eyes widening in realisation. "It gave you abilities..?" He said, his eyes meeting Zahra's briefly, before he looked back at the crone.

"You catch on quick, kid." Ximaedra said, tipping towards him with her tea cup, while gesturing to her blue skin with her other hand. "Not to mention, my unique appearance." She added with obvious amusement, shaking her head as she snorted. "We were able to take a little of The Power into ourselves, granting us certain skills... But, _only_ if we followed the rules."

"Well, I guess that explains Twiggy over here." Sean said lightly, gesturing towards Ximaedra's strange guardian, which growled at him in response.

"Hang on, you made that... _thing?!"_ Rebecca demanded, her eyes wide in obvious surprise, as they darted between the withered old woman and the forest beast beside her.

"Do you have other powers too?" Taylor asked curiously, glancing at Zahra again as she shifted her weight and bit her lip hopefully.

"Absolutely not." Ximaedra denied sharply, scowling at Taylor as irritation flitted across Zahra's face, before it was replaced by sullen resignation. "I make constructs, like this ugly beast here... but only one at a time." She paused, following Taylors sympathetic gaze toward Zahra, and her expression softened slightly in realisation. "Others could levitate things, or talk to beasts and whatnot. But, there's only so much Power a person can hold without going... _strange."_ She said, scowling into her teacup.

"Stranger than being blue skinned..?" Raj asked curiously, frowning when Rebecca swatted his arm with a pointed frown. Ximaedra nodded, but otherwise chose not to answer, and Taylors heart clenched as he understood the meaning behind her silence.

"... Someone got greedy, didn't they?" He guessed knowingly, trying to catch the old woman's eye. "Someone tried to use too much of... The Power."

"Idiot..." Ximaedra sighed, running a withered hand through her hair. "We _told_ him what would happen." She said irritably, shaking her head in frustration. "He saw the shadows wandering the woods at night... leftovers, from other greedy idiots. But _no..._ he thought he knew better than us." She scoffed, rolling her good eye as she finally looked up at Taylor with fury in her gaze. "Now look at him, fused with The Power itself, not a scrap of humanity left."

Taylor shuddered, absently rubbing at the still tender bruise on his wrist where Redfield had grabbed him. Ximaedra watched him intently, one eyebrow raising slowly. "Looks like things are worse than I thought..." She said quietly, as Taylor noticed her gaze and hid his wrist on reflex. "We need to move quickly." She said, heaving herself out of her chair and beginning to bustle about the room, taking down jars and bunches of herbs. "Someone find the jar of powdered bloodstone... And you, put those goblets on the table." She said, gesturing to something behind Raj.

"Oh, uh... these?" He asked, retrieving a pair of ornate goblets from a nearby car and setting them on the low table. Taylor moved aside, sitting cross legged on the floor and trying to make himself small to keep out of the way. 

"Pretty..." He mumbled, leaning closer to examine the old goblets briefly, before Ximaedra shooed him back, before she started to mix various powders and herbs into the two goblets.

"Okay... I get that we're 'moving quickly' here, but can you maybe hold the ball for a sec?" Sean asked, frowning as he watched Ximaedra continue to mix her ingredients. "How are we supposed to stop Redfield?"

Ximaedra paused, looking up at Sean sharply, her brow creasing slightly in obvious confusion. "Yes, I too would like to know just what we're getting ourselves into." Aleister added, plucking the powdered bloodstone Ximaedra had asked for from a high shelf and placing it on the table before her. "What is our plan? And are you to be assisting us?"

"... What does it look like I'm doing? Making a casserole?" Ximaedra scoffed, shaking off her obvious confusion to focus a scowl upon Aleister. She shook her head and returned to her concoction, adding a pinch of ash to each goblet, before she began to scribble furiously on a notepad. "I can tell you how to bind him... but you're going to have to go into those woods and perform the spell yourselves." She said, ignoring the pink tinge of embarrassment in Aleister's cheeks.

 _"What?!"_ Rebecca cried, staring at the old crone in disbelief. "But, we can't..!" She said, shaking her head quickly. "I mean, how're we supposed to do that? We ain't... witches, or whatever."

"Pfft, speak for yourself." Zahra scoffed, shadowing Ximaedra as she keenly observed everything she did, her enthusiasm to learn a strange contrast to her usual dismissive nature.

"We might not have powers..." Taylor said, pushing to his feet with a sigh. "But, Ximaedra's right. We have to do this ourselves." He said, eyeing the giblets curiously.

"But _why?"_ Quinn asked, holding her arms behind her back as she leaned against his side and peeked up at him with a small pout. "Why does it have to be _us?"_  

Taylor fiddled with the lip of the goblet briefly, before sighing again and turning to Quinn with a grimace. "It's because we're connected to him." He said reluctantly, too lost in his thoughts to notice Ximaedra stop her scribbling to look at him for a moment. "Something about being near us, gave Mr. Red power... _Especially,_ once he managed to lure m- us down into that cave." He said, clearing his throat and glancing around his friends, pleased none of them seemed to notice his slip. "Maybe... That same connection can give us some kind of power over him."

"Huh..." Ximaedra hummed thoughtfully, as Taylor turned to her in surprise, his cheeks staining pink as he realised she had been both watching and listening to him. "You're not as dense as I thought you'd be." She said, returning to her pad and quickly scribbling the last few notes. "Maybe we're not doomed after all."

"... Thanks?" Taylor said awkwardly, uncomfortable suddenly for reasons he couldn't quite put his finger upon.

"The Power's _true_ strength, comes from the connection it forges with its followers." Ximaedra explained, looking around them all slowly with her one good eye. "Both sides, are bound by the rules and rituals which they agree upon. After the... _incident,_ the few of us who weren't bloody smears on the ground, figured out a way to exploit that connection." She said, finally tearing the page free from her notepad and handing it to Taylor. "With this spell, we sealed that bastard inside the old meeting house."

Taylors blood turned cold, his face paling as Ximaedra eyed him knowingly, his thoughts turning back to the strange barrier he'd first encountered ten years ago; before he'd first stepped foot through the door to Redfield's lair. "Old meeting house..." Raj repeated, his eyes widening suddenly in realisation. "Wait, you mean those creepy ruins?! How old _are_ you, old dudette?!"

"None of yer damn business." Ximaedra scoffed, scowling at Raj as Taylor tried to regain his composure, staring down at the note in his hands as he swallowed thickly, and tried to push away the discomfort he felt. 

He stared vacantly at Ximaedra's cramped handwriting, until finally, he was able to make sense of it. "This... this is it?" He asked, his brows rising in surprise at the seemingly simple notes. "We just follow these instructions?"

"Seems a little anticlimactic..." Zahra sniffed, her disappointment over the lack of magic truly needed clear in her tone.

"Ya did hear the part where we have to go back into the woods, right?" Rebecca asked, holding her arms around herself as if she were cold. Taylor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her against his side, offering her comfort and warmth both.

"Where, I assume, Redfield will attempt to stop us?" Aleister added, and Taylor frowned as he noticed the strange look which Ximaedra gave the pale boy, glancing between them both curiously.

"That's right." Ximaedra said slowly, her blue skin flickering with shadows. "Once he sees what yer doing, he'll do everything he can to interrupt the spell. You're going to have to-" she cut off abruptly, spinning around with a furious glare. "Hey! You drop that! I said _drop it!"_

Taylor jumped, following Ximaedra's accusing finger and furious glare, to where her pet creature was gnawing in its own leg bone. The creature yelped, raising its head innocently, as Ximaedra sighed and rubbed her brow in frustration.

"Stupid thing..." She muttered, her scowl returning as she eyed the now sheepish creature. "All the arcane powers in the world couldn't magic a brain in that half rotted skull of yours." She said, as the creature huffed affectionately and wagged its bony stump of a tail proudly. Ximaedra turned to Taylor, rolling her eyes in obvious exasperation. "Don't suppose you'd like to take this damn ugly beast with you? All he's doing here is chewing up my nice furniture." She scoffed.

"Um, yes. _Yes,_ he _would_ like." Zahra answered immediately, as Taylor raised a brow at her in amusement. "What? Don't look at me like that, you're like, a walking animal shelter." She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest defiantly, pointedly averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed pink.

Taylor snorted quietly, cocking his head thoughtfully. "Well, Redfield will probably send tonnes of these creatures after us..." He said, recalling their last fight in the woods. "It'd be nice to have a monster on our side for once." He said, eyeing the creature as it raised its head hopefully. He sighed, a smile spreading across his face as he held out his hand and dropped to his knees. "We'd love to take him." 

"Hear that, yer dense beast?" Ximaedra said firmly, as the creatures bony claws scrabbled against the floor, as it attempted to get up too quickly. "You're going with these kids for a while." She said, snapping her fingers as it trotted eagerly across the floorboards to Taylor.

"Does it, uh... have a name?" Quinn asked, cautiously stepping up to Taylors side, as he crouched and affectionately rubbed the creatures bony head behind its partially destroyed ear.

"Never bothered to give it one." Ximaedra admitted, waving a hand dismissively. "Call him what you like."

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, grinning as the beast sat on its haunches and waited patiently before him. "What about... Tetra?" He asked, laughing when the creature launched itself into his lap and nuzzled against him, as Taylor scratched his mossy head. "Surprisingly soft... and weird. _Definitely_ weird." He said, though he smiled broadly. "Who's my good little creepy forest monster?" He cooed, oblivious to the faintly concerned looks some of his friends gave him.

"Hell yeah." Zahra said, kneeling opposite him, and patting her legs to draw Tetra's attention. "Who's a good undead boy? Is it you?" She asked, as Tetra glanced up at Taylor as if for permission, before scurrying over to Zahra when he nodded. 

Ximaedra rolled her good eye as she sighed, shaking her head as she grabbed a plastic lighter from the kitchen and tossing it to Taylor, who caught it with a surprised yelp. She then turned away, handing the two goblets to Raj. "Do _not_ spill these." She said firmly, her good eye locking onto him. "There's a clearing, with a big stump in the middle, about a mile from the road. You know it?"

"Yeah..." Raj said quietly, nodding slowly, as his eyes met Taylors over the old crones shoulder. "That's where we found our friend, Diego."

"That's where you'll do the ritual." She said, squeezing his wrists briefly. "Tonight." She said determinedly, as Quinn gasped in surprise.

 _"Tonight?"_ She yelped, biting her lip as she began to shift her weight restlessly. "Why can't we wait until morning?"

"Because he's got to be inside the clearing for the spell to trap him..." Ximaedra explained, surprisingly gently considering her previous impatience. "Which won't happen, if it's full of sunshine."

"Got it." Taylor said, standing and wrapping his arm about Quinn's shoulders in a brief hug. "But, before we go, there's something... I wanted to ask about." He paused, looking back at Ximaedra hesitantly. "What happened to your face?" 

"You can't just-" Quinn whispered furiously, elbowing him hard in the ribs, as Ximaedra blinked her good eye at him in surprise.

"Oh come on, you've been thinking it too." Zahra scoffed, bumping her fist to Taylors shoulder briefly. "You've been trying not to stare at her face this whole time. Taylors just being Taylor; stupidly honest and curious.

"Some kid broke my oven trying to get out of his little clay coffin." Ximaedra said dryly, shaking her head despondently as the group fell silent. "Damn thing blew up right in my face." She said, as Taylor tried to hide a grin behind his hand.

"Oh my god, Jake was _right..!"_ Rebecca whispered in distress, not realising she was speaking far louder than she intended.

"Are..." Sean paused, swallowing heavily as he stared at Ximaedra in wide eyed disbelief. "Are you serious?" 

Taylor broke out in a loud snorting giggle, glancing around his friends apologetically, before turning away to laugh at their expressions. "No, idiots... At least one of your knew that." Ximaedra scoffed, rolling her good eye as she scowled around them all. "The Power did this to me while we worked to bind him." She said, folding her arms over her chest as the others looked at their feet guiltily. "My advice? Try not to let him get a hold of you while he's angry. It'll leave a bit of a mark." She said, eyeing Taylor knowingly as he sobered, glancing at his wrist, while his other hand rose to his neck unwittingly. "Now, unless you have any other silly questions-"

"Actually, there is one _other_ thing." Taylor said, his brow creasing as he turned back to Ximaedra. "About our friends, in the hospital..."

"Our friends; Diego, Tom... and Craig." Sean said, swallowing heavily as he forced the words past his lips. "Redfield got to them, they've been unconscious in the hospital for days."

"There are others, also." Aleister added, and Taylor reached over to squeeze his pale friends arm, understanding that his friend was thinking of Mrs. Montoya. "If we successfully bind Redfield... will they recover, and awaken?"

"Hmm..." Ximaedra hummed, considering the situation thoughtfully for a moment. "The Power does feed on people sometimes, consuming their life force, until they're just empty shells..." She said, cocking her head briefly, as Taylor sucked in a sharp breath, his chest constricting tightly. "But; if you do this spell right, that connection will be broken. Your friends should recover... in time." She said, offering the tiniest flicker of a smile at Taylors obvious relief.

"One more reason to win this thing." He said, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled heavily in his obvious relief. 

"Now, it's time for you to go." Ximaedra said, surprisingly gentle as she began to shoo them toward the door. "There's work to be done..." She said firmly, ushering them all out of her cabin. As Taylor followed behind his friends, Ximaedra grabbed his arm with a surprisingly firm grip, just above the mark which Redfield had left on his wrist. "The name yer call it by... Where did you-?" She asked, trailing off as she frowned at him lopsidedly.

"Redfield scratched it in the floor...the first day I broke through your barrier." Taylor admitted, ducking his head in shame. "I... Something, just called to me. I couldn't..." He paused, his face scrunching with guilt as he looked back up at the old crone. "I didn't want to resist it... Not until it was too late. My friend, I-"

"Weren't your fault, kid. The Power calls to those it desires, some more than others." Ximaedra said, lowering her hand from his arm and gesturing for him to rejoin his friends. "Be vigilant, fight it. Don't let it get it yer head; or yer heart..." She warned as he stepped through the door, before promptly shutting the door in his face.

Taylor frowned, hugging himself against the chill wind as he and his friends made their way out of Ximaedra's garden. "This is it, then..." Aleister said lowly as they walked, Tetra bounding just ahead of them eagerly before stopping to wait for them to catch him up. "We are truly, going to face him."

"At least we'll all be together this time, dude." Raj said, bumping his fist to Aleister's shoulder gently, careful not to jostle the mixture within.

"Plus, we've got _Tetra."_ Zahra said, smirking as the creatures eyes blazed with something which Taylor decided to consider affection.

"Indeed." Aleister hummed thoughtfully, a small smile curling his lips as they reached the cars, looking around them all briefly as he opened the drivers door. "Well then. Once more into the breach, dear friends..."

"Everyone ready to go?" Rebecca asked, her voice trembling slightly as Taylor opened the back door and whistled for Tetra. "Hey! Who said the mangy, undead fleabag was ridin' in _my_ car?!"

"Uh, me?" Taylor snorted, as Tetra hopped in the back of the car, sliding in behind him quickly. "Besides, I barely got away taking a kitten in Aleister's car. You think I'm getting Tetra in _there?"_ He scoffed, throwing the pale boy a mock scowl and a wink, which Aleister utterly ignored.

"Well, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be..." Quinn said, biting her lip as she slipped into Rebecca's front passenger seat, while Zahra clambered in the back on the other side of Tetra.

"Creepy moonlight ritual to save the town from evil?" She scoffed, petting the forest creatures head gently. "I was _born_ ready for this shit."

"Hell yeah." Sean said, clapping his hands together before pointing finger guns at Taylor. "Let's kick some monsters in the face!"

"Not yet..." Taylor said abruptly, staring out his window as he dragged in a deep breath, before turning to look at Rebecca. "First, there's one stop we need to make..." He said, swallowing thickly as she smiled knowingly and winked.

"Oh, _hell_ yeah, there is." She said, gesturing for Aleister to follow her, as she settled into the drivers seat and started her engine, waiting for the others to assemble in Aleister's car, before driving back to town; parking outside the hardware store fifteen minutes later.

Taylor exhaled sharply as he climbed out the back door and turned to stare at the building apprehensively, suddenly acutely more terrified of what his heart was telling him to do, than the idea of running into the woods to face an age old shadow monster. Tetra made to follow him from the car as he turned away, but Taylor gently pushed him back inside. "Uh... no. You have to stay in here and be a good boy. No _gnawing._ We won't be long. Then, you can come out to... play." He said, pretending not to notice the sad dimming of the creatures fiery gaze.

"And please..." Rebecca pleaded, eyeing the creature dubiously. "Don't get zombie doggy drool all over my upholstery..." She asked wistfully, as Tetra made a vague growling sound.

"That sounds like a 'no promises' to me." Zahra said, smirking at Rebecca's sigh of reluctant acceptance, before heading over to the entrance to wait with the others.

"Taylor..?" Rebecca called, causing him to jump as he snapped out of his own thoughts. "Ya sure about this? I mean, I think ya doin' the right thing, but if ya really half as scared as ya look right now..."

"No, I..." Taylor paused, swallowing hard against the fear which tried to clog his throat. "I need to... explain. If this goes well, great. But, given my history with Mr. Red and how something usually goes wrong when I'm involved with him-" he cut off abruptly, as Rebecca grabbed and squeezed his hand, leaning up to kiss his cheek softly. "I _need_ to do this..."

"Well, c'mon then." Rebecca said gently, leading him into the store, as he dragged his leaden feet. As soon as the door chimed to announce their arrival, Rebecca released his hand and winked at him, nudging him forward as the others all squeezed past into the store.

Taylor stared, biting his lip and fidgeting with his sleeve awkwardly, as behind the counter; Jake glanced up slowly from a tattered betting slip. "Hey, I'm about to close up, so-" he drawled, his eyes finally tearing away from the paper and locking on Taylor. "Oh." He said, his posture stiffening and his expression darkening, as Taylor lowered his gaze to the floor guiltily.

"Hi, Jake." He muttered, throwing a scowl over his shoulder, as Rebecca elbowed him in the ribs. Jake glared at him as he slapped his netting slip on the counter, before turning to his sister.

"Becca, what the _hell_ are ya all doin' here?" He demanded, as Taylor flinched at the pilots cold tone of voice. "Ya said earlier ya were goin' back to the library, and this ain't exactly-"

"Don't be such a jerk, Jake." Rebecca scolded, rolling her eyes as she walked up to the counter and swatted him around the ear semi-playfully. "We're just here to buy supplies."

"Supplies for wha-?!" Jake spluttered, his eyes widening I obvious concern, before his expression hardened again. "Actually, ya know what? I don't wanna know. Store closes in five minutes so just..." He paused, swallowing heavily as his eyes finally slipped past his sister to Taylor. "... Get ya supplies, and get out." He said, gritting his teeth as he looked away, shaking his head as Taylors friends all split up to browse the store.

Taylor glanced at Rebecca, his resolve faltering beneath Jake's evident fury, but a glance at her narrowed eyes and firm nod soon had him approaching the counter. "Hey." He said quietly, his fingers toying with the edge of the desk, as Jake looked up at him with a guarded expression. "Do you, uh, do you have a second?" He asked awkwardly, biting his lip as he forced himself to meet Jake's unusually cold gaze.

"... Maybe." Jake finally relented cautiously, his brow furrowing slightly at Taylors obvious heavy sigh of relief, even at his vague acquiescence.

"Look, I know you're mad... You have every right to be, and I get it and I understand, hell, I'd probably be really awful if the situations were reversed and wouldn't even be sitting so calmly as you, but-" Taylor paused, sucking in a deep breath to keep himself from rambling any further. He took several steadying breathes, his heart racing frantically as he summoned every ounce of strength and resolve he held within him. "... I wanted to talk."

"So..." Jake said, folding his arms over his chest and leaning forward on the counter, his lips twitching faintly as Taylors cheeks darkened at the closer proximity. "Talk." He cocked his head, a dry and unamused chuckle escaping him. "Unless ya wanna just text me and disappear again." He scoffed, raising a brow challengingly.

"Okay, I deserved that..." Taylor admitted, grimacing as he rolled his eyes. "But can you stop being an ass for a second? I mean, you two needed each other right then and... and anyway, that is _so_ not what this is about right now!" He said, flashing the pilot a frown, before quickly glancing away again with a huff of frustration. "I'm trying to apologise here." He said, looking down at his fingers on the counter, as he traced nonsensical patterns. "You were right. I... I should've told you what was happening sooner."

"Yeah. Ya _should've."_ Jake agreed easily, his cerulean eyes locked onto Taylor as he fidgeted in obvious discomfort and rising irritation.

"Oh, come on!" Taylor finally groused, raising his eyes to scowl at the pilot. "In my defense, if I had said; 'oh hey, Jake, there's a shadow monster stalking us,' would you have _actually_ believed me?"

"I guess ya ain't ever gonna know now, are ya?" Jake sneered, scowling back at Taylor as he shook his head and leaned back away from the counter. "... So that's still ya story then, huh?" He asked after a moments pause, letting out a frustrated sigh and rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Look, I have to close up soon. You should just... get whatever you came for." He finally said, the fury in his gaze dying, as he looked up at him with a sad resignation in his eyes, that made Taylors heart clamour with fear; on the verge of shattering. "Unless..." He said, looking Taylor in the eye determinedly. "Unless, ya ready to tell me what the hells goin' on. And I mean, _everythin'."_

"Okay." Taylor said quickly, his heart lurching desperately in his chest as he nodded. "... You'll actually listen? To everything I have to say? No matter, how _weird_ it gets?" He asked, worrying his lip as his heart fluttered with hope, his stomach clenching with nausea.

Jake scrutinized him closely for a moment, before holding up two fingers, his lips twitching in giant amusement. "Scout's honour." He said, his brow rising slightly in surprise, as Taylor gave a surprised bark of relieved laughter.

"Okay. I'm ready... C'mon. It's time, I really explained some things." Taylor said, hesitating a moment, before offering his hand to the pilot. Jake considered for a moment, before grabbing a beer he'd been hiding beneath the counter and taking Taylors hand. Taylor sucked in a deep breath as he led Jake to the store entrance, glancing at Rebecca from the corner of his eye as she clapped silently but enthusiastically at him. 

Outside, Jake released his hand, propping himself against the wall as he opened his beer. "So?" He said, pausing to take a long swig of his drink. "Talk." He said, waving his free hand at Taylor vaguely.

"It's... Kind of a long story." Taylor hedged, glancing at the already darkened sky. "And I don't have a lot of time. So, bear with me, if I skip over a few things..." He said, biting his lip and rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to figure out where to begin.

Jake rolled his eyes, taking another long drink from his can, before finally answering.  "Yeah. Okay... _Bearing."_ He snorted, as Taylor began to wring his hands together awkwardly, but slowly began to tell him his history.

He began with the day they'd found Redfield, his almost abduction; before moving on to something he recognised well, the death of Raj's cousin. He glossed over the ten years between, having already explained his parents slowly removing themselves from his life, picking up again at Diego's disappearance; rolling down the neck of his vest to reveal the slowly fading marks from the dirt monster. He detailed the fight they'd partaken in, to retrieve Diego from the woods; and the creatures they'd fought their way past. As he progressed through everything that had happened since, he noticed Jake's brows rose and fell, as small details clicked into his own experiences. However, by the time he reached the spiders and the final time they'd spoken, Jake's brow was deeply furrowed, and he rubbed his forehead in consternation.

Taylor paused, his heart twisting as it began to sink heavily in his chest. "You don't look like you believe me..." He finally voiced quietly, looking at the pilot sadly as his eyes stung with tears of frustration and resignation.

"I mean, look-" Jake began, raising a palm as his eyes widened, his gaze troubled as he tried to process everything he'd been told. "I don't _want_ to be the kinda guy who doesn't believe someone when they-" he fell silent as a heavy sigh escaped him, meeting Taylors sad gaze with a reluctant frown. "But, ya gotta admit this all sounds... pretty out there. Do you have some kind of... I dunno-"

"What?" Taylor sniffed, his gaze hardening as he wiped a rogue tear from his cheek, ignoring the regretful flush of Jake's cheeks as he ducked his head slightly. _"Proof?"_ He sneered, about to walk away from the pilot when he paused suddenly, his expression turning thoughtful. "You want proof?" He asked in a quieter tone, watching Jake as he raised his eyes to him curiously, at the slow curl of a smirk unfurling across his lips. "Look in that car." He said, folding his arms over his chest as he stood straighter.

"Huh?" Jake frowned, turning to follow Taylors gesture and raising a brow in surprise. "Becca's car? Why?" He asked, his eyes widening as Taylors smirk grew more pronounced.

"Just do it, ya scaredy pilot." Taylor taunted, angling himself toward the car so he could watch the pilots reaction. "I promise, you're gonna believe everything I've told you in, oh... about ten seconds."

Jake frowned skeptically, though he stubbornly pushed away from the wall and strode toward the car. "So, what?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stepped closer to the back door, not noticing Taylors grin grow wider. "Is this the part where somethin' jumps out at me and-" Jake swore loudly, as Tetra growled and sprang up against the car window, licking the glass eagerly as his flaming eyes blazed. "Holy _shit!"_ He cried, scrambling backward and tripping over his own feet, staring in disbelief with a look of shock plastered to his face. "What the _hell_ is _that_ thing?!" He demanded, as Taylor moved to the car door and tapped the window gently, smiling when Tetra licked at his hand through the glass, before settling down quietly on the seat again.

"That, would be one of those dog thing I told you about." He said, smirking proudly as he walked away from the car again, offering Jake his hand to pull him to his feet.

"Ya didn't tell me ya took one home as a freakin' _pet!"_ Jake cried, his free hand running through his hair as he stared at the now empty back window of his sisters car.

"I hadn't gotten that far yet." Taylor snickered, releasing Jake's hand as he moved back to the store and sank back against the wall, his hand moving to clutch at his heart. "Besides, you know me... An animal needs a home and I take it in..."

"This is _nuts..."_ Jake said, shaking his head as he continued to stare in wide eyed disbelief at the innocent window of his sisters car. Taylor bit his lip, a twinge of guilt niggling at his conscience as he cautiously approached the startled pilot.

"So... you believe me?" He asked, his heart fluttering with hope, as Jake finally returned his gaze. Their eyes met and for a moment, Taylors breath caught, before Jake's face fell.

"I mean, I _knew_ Becca was actin' weird." The pilot said quietly, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair again, clearly restless after the sudden shock. "Then, _and_ now. But all _this..."_ He muttered, narrowing his eyes as he threw his empty beer can into the garbage. He looked up at Taylor suddenly, his brow creasing as he stared at him intently, seeming to search within him for something. "But, if things were this crazy, why the _hell_ didn't ya say somethin' sooner?"

"Jake..." Taylor sighed, guilt flaring in his gut as he swallowed heavily, his face crumpling as he shook his head sadly. "I had to protect you." He said, averting his eyes and missing the surprised widening of Jake's eyes. "Redfield isn't just some wild animal. He's been going after people who get close to us. Enemies _and_ friends. I thought the more involved you got, the less safe you'd be." He said, wiping his eyes angrily with the back of his hand as they tried to water. "I already got someone killed once... and it could just as easily have been your sister, than Raj's cousin. You should hate me for dragging her, dragging _any_ of them, into all this..." He whispered, sniffing as he scrubbed at his eyes and cleared his throat.

Jake was silent for a long moment, making Taylor jump when his fingers curled gently beneath his chin and forced him to look back at him, having moved too quietly for Taylor to have heard. "I could never hate ya... Even when ya piss me off." Jake teased quietly, absently wiping away the tears Taylor had missed. "But, Taylor... what about _your_ safety in all this?"

"Finding you impaled, or almost impaled on a tree would _not_ have made me feel _safe..."_ Taylor said quietly, glancing down at his feet briefly at Jake's visible flinch. 

"Okay. Point taken." Jake huffed, sighing heavily as he stepped back and tugged at his hair distractedly. "Okay, so... what's the next step? I assume ya all here 'cause ya about to run off and do somethin' stupid..?"

"Um..." Taylor hedged, scratching the back of his neck guiltily as his eyes darted between the store, Rebecca's car and the woods in the distance, before returning to Jake.

"And ya know whatever it is, I'm gonna wanna come along, right?" Jake said firmly, as Taylors face fell and he bit his lip, fighting the urge to step closer and reach out to the pilot; gazing at him longingly. "... but I can't?" Jake guessed at Taylors prolonged silence.

"You can't come, because..." Taylor began, pausing as his words seemed to stick in his throat. "I can't put you at risk..." He admitted, though Jake's expression twisted at his words.

"I can't just sit here while you and Becca charge off into danger!" Jake growled fiercely, scowling at Taylor in fearful frustration.

"I know it sucks." Taylor said quickly, stepping closer unwittingly in his desire to comfort the pilot. "But, I need you to trust me." He said pleadingly, raising his hands in placation. "We have a way to stop this... But it can only be us. We can't put anybody else in danger anymore."

Jake frowned deeply, crossing his arms as he glanced around uneasily. "I _really_ don't like this." He sighed finally, shaking his head as he looked back at Taylor. "I feel helpless... And I trained to _not_ feel helpless in _any_ situation." He scoffed, biting his lip.

"Yeah. I know _that_ feeling." Taylor said, absently rubbing at his injured wrist, as Jake glanced at the still marked flesh briefly. "But, I need you to trust me." He repeated imploringly. He watched as Jake ran both hands through his hair, clearly struggling to process everything he'd been told; with the proof now backing up Taylors tale. "So..." Taylor asked, glancing around briefly as he tentatively stepped closer to the pilot, his heart clamouring within his chest as he peeked at him shyly from beneath his lashes. "Are you gonna kiss me, or what?"

"I..." Jake began, before pausing suddenly, his hands falling from his hair as his eyes met Taylors. _"What?"_ He choked, a surprised grin curling his lips as he snorted at Taylors innocent expression.

"Well, I mean..." He said evasively, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced away briefly. "I'm about to charge off and do something stupid!" He defended weakly, trying to hide the small grin on his face unsuccessfully. "Where's my heroic send off?" He demanded, biting his lip as nervous anticipation built in his gut. "Seriously, if you don't kiss me in the next few seconds, I think I'm gonna do something stupid like cry, so..."

Jake laughed incredulously, walking over to Taylor and sliding a hand around his waist, as Taylors hands curled into the lapels of his jacket, his heart thundering against Jake's chest. "Ya really somethin' else, ya know that?" He murmured, his eyes tracing Taylors face for a moment, before he softly pressed his lips to Taylors; right in the middle of the street. Taylor hummed happily, as the street, the town, the hardware store all fell away; his entire focus captured by Jake's consuming kiss. 

He stumbled slightly, when after a long moment, Jake turned them and backed Taylor up against the wall of the hardware store; deepening his kiss as Taylors arms rose around his neck and pulled him closer. _"Mmm..."_ He whimpered, as Jake cupped his cheek and simultaneously pulled him closer with his other hand curled about his hip, his lips rough and demanding; eagerly conveying with passionate kisses, everything which he'd failed to with words. After several long minutes of such attention, Taylor pulled back slightly, panting for breath as his lips stung pleasantly from the pilots demanding pressure.

"We, uh... should probably get back inside." He said reluctantly, his fingers toying gently with the soft hair at the back of Jake's neck. "Before the others come looking for us."

"Screw it." Jake said thickly, kissing along Taylors jaw lightly. "Let 'em come." He drawled, drawing in a sharp breath as Taylor shivered against him, his body arching toward him slightly.

 _"Jake..."_ Taylor snickered quietly, turning to recapture the pilots lips with his own for another, deep and passionate kiss. When he finally released the pilot again, Jake knocked their foreheads together, a content if lopsided grin on his face as Taylor bit his lip and beamed at him joyfully. "We should really..."

"Yeah." Jake hummed, kissing Taylors nose gently. "Okay." He said, reluctantly stepping back and dropping his hand to lace together Taylors.

"Thankyou, for hearing me out." Taylor said, squeezing Jake's hand affectionately. "Keeping all this a secret has been eating me up inside." He said, shaking his head as he stepped away from the wall.

"Thanks for finally tellin' me." Jake snorted back, eyeing him slyly as they idled towards the store entrance. "Ya know ya can always talk to me, Boy Scout... But just imagine how much better ya might feel, if ya talked to ya friends too." He urged quietly, rolling his eyes as Taylor raised a brow at him in confusion. "I _mean,_ ya oughtta tell 'em about ya parents. They care about ya too, and they'd wanna help."

"Yeah..." Taylor admitted, unable to wipe the grin from his face as Jake opened the door for him and released his hand. "But, this isn't exactly the time so, that'll be a hard no... For now." He conceded as Jake snorted, swatting his ass with a brief wink, as he passed him on his way back to the counter. Taylor grinned as he watched him settle back behind the counter, and finally turned away from the pilot, to find Raj and Sean browsing the center aisle. "How's it going?" He asked, strolling over to them with his smile still plastered to his face.

"Well, we were gonna ask you that, but it kinda looks like we don't have to." Sean snickered, high fiving with Raj as they exchanged amused chuckles.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up ya damn fools." Taylor mumbled, his cheeks flaming as his friends smirked at his expense. "C'mon, I'm serious! Never mind me, what's been happening here?"

"Sean's been having _way_ too much fun with this." Raj finally relented, gesturing to the display before them.

"Hey man, I'm just trying to live out nt cheesy action movie dreams here. Don't ruin it for me." Sean said, his eyes lighting up as set down a jar of nails and turned to them both fully, grinning broadly. "You know what I just realised? This is gonna be over tomorrow!"

"Yeah..." Taylor agreed, sharing a knowing look with Raj. "Assuming, ya know, we don't all die." He added dryly, snorting at Sean's optimistic grin.

"No, that's what I mean!" Sean insisted, as Taylor raised a brow at him. _"Fists of Thunder six_ comes out next summer, and there's no _way_ I'm missing that. So we're _definitely_ gonna win!"

"I... what?" Taylor finally caved, shaking his head fondly. "I'm sorry, I'm still trying to process you've seen, and enjoyed, five predecessor films with the title 'fists of thunder'." He snickered, high fiving with Raj as they laughed quietly together.

"Hey, I'm serious!" Sean insisted, ignoring Taylors teasing as he smiled over at them. "Look; what are you guys looking forward to? What have you been waiting for _so hard_ it _proves_ we're gonna live?" 

"Uh..." Raj said, shuffling his feet awkwardly as his smile faded. "I dunno. I haven't exactly had much to look forward to, lately."

"There must be _something..."_ Taylor said, nudging him gently with his elbow as his cheeks flared with heat, entertaining his own idea of what he was determined to survive for. _"Ahem..._ What about homecoming?" He asked, shaking his head as he pushed his thoughts aside for later consideration.

"I'm probably not going." Raj said, shrugging dismissively as he fiddled with his hair and looked at the display before him intently. "Seems kinda pointless without a date, doesn't it? And I'm... _really_ not in a good place for that, dudes. Dating, I mean."

Sean reached over, squeezing Raj's shoulder supportively. "That's cool, dude." He said, smiling softly. "If it's not the right time, then it's not the right time." He agreed gently.

"But, you shouldn't let that stop you from enjoying homecoming though!" Taylor urged, humming excitedly as an idea occurred to him. _"Ooh, ooh!_ We could all go together!" 

"Dude, let's rent a limo!" Sean agreed eagerly, a wide smile on his face as his eyes glittered excitedly. "I've _always_ wanted to do that." He admitted more shyly, ducking his head slightly as his cheeks darkened.

"I'll look into prices tomorrow; provided we live through tonight." Taylor promised, fist bumping with Sean as they grinned in eager anticipation.

"That sounds... fun, doodlejumps. I'll think about it." Raj admitted, a small smile lighting his face as he glanced at each of them shyly. _"Ahem,_ but like, what about _you,_ Taylor? Gonna ask someone to homecoming?" He asked, sniggering with Sean as Taylor felt his face begin to burn. He looked around the store, his eyes falling onto Jake again as he bit his lip indecisively. "Go on, dude... Won't know unless you ask! Good luck." Raj said, nudging him back towards the counter.

Taylor yelped quietly, throwing an impudent scowl at his friends briefly, before clearing his throat and drawing in a deep breath; and finally marching back up to the counter. "So, uh, one more thing..." He said, as Jake raised a brow and smirked at the sight of Taylors red face.

The pilot leaned forward on the counter curiously, resting his cheek on his palm as he eyed Taylor suspiciously. "Yeah?" He drawled, watching as Taylor fidgeted awkwardly.

"So, uh... you probably don't wanna and I don't really know why I'm asking, given that you... probably, ya know, don't wanna; which is totally cool, by the way! If you don't wanna, I mean... but-" he paused in his rambling, forcing himself to take several deep breaths as Jake blinked at him uncomprehendingly. "Um, okay. So, I was wondering... if you'd come to homecoming with me..?" He asked, wincing as his fingers fiddled with his sleeve nervously.

"Wow." Jake huffed, leaning back from the counter as he smirked and shook his head, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Can't say I was expectin' _that_ tonight..." He scoffed, narrowing his eyes in thought briefly. "Ya just full of surprises, ain't ya Boy Scout?"

"Oh, trust me... You have _no_ idea." Taylor said quickly, his voice rising slightly as he giggled, before he quickly cleared his throat and averted his eyes, trying to pretend he didn't notice the burning in his cheeks.

"... Ya sure ya don't wanna take one of ya rag tag group of misfits with ya?" Jake asked cautiously, gesturing to where Sean and Raj were unsubtly watching from around one corner, while Rebecca and Quinn peeked around another.

Taylor rolled his eyes at his friends lack of subtlety, sticking his tongue out at them all and shooing them away, before turning back to Jake with an uncertain frown. "So, is that... a no?" He asked, wincing at the hint of disappointment he'd failed to keep from his tone.

"Of course it ain't. I'd love to, I just..." Jake cleared his throat, his cheeks dusting with pink beneath his stubble. "Wanted to make sure ya ain't gonna regret showin' up with an old timer like me." 

Taylor released a semi-hysterical giggle, clapping a hand over his mouth quickly to stifle the sound, as his eyes stung with tears of joy. "You're such an idiot, Top Gun." He gasped, sniffing as he scrubbed at his eyes determinedly, beaming at Jake as he stepped around the counter and slid an arm around Taylors waist. "You're not _that_ old..." He muttered, toying with Jake's dog tags gently.

"Older'n most people who ain't chaperonin' you brats." Jake snorted, leaning closer to brush his lips over Taylors jaw lightly. "So... I guess I better wear a tie or somethin', huh?" He asked lowly, his stubble tickling Taylors cheek as he kissed his throat surprisingly softly.

"... You actually _own_ one?" Taylor teased, feigning shock as Jake nipped his ear playfully. He sniggered fondly as Jake surfaced from his throat, rolling his eyes at Taylors cocky attitude.

"Don't sound so surprised." He huffed, frowning thoughtfully as he narrowed his eyes over Taylors shoulder. "Now, if I can just remember where I put it..." He hummed, as Taylor laughed and leaned forward to kiss Jake's cheek, before carefully extracting himself from Jake's embrace and wandering away to browse the store some more; a gleeful smile firmly glued to his face.

After a short time spent meandering aimlessly down a few aisles, Taylor came across Raj again, staring at a display of power tools. "So, you gonna buy anything, dude?" He asked, grinning as he noticed Taylors giddy smile.

"Hmm, not sure." Taylor hummed, shrugging his shoulder dismissively. "What kind of weapon do you use against an army of undead plant monsters?" He wondered aloud, the pair of them falling silent for a moment before snorting in laughter, as they imagined the expressions of anyone overhearing their conversation.

"Well, I mean..." Raj finally sighed, as they both calmed. _"That's_ probably a good bet, dude." He said, pointing to a wall behind Taylor, where a 'Now In Stock' sign hung next to a single pole saw on a display rack.

"Ooh, I forgot about this thing!" Taylor gasped, taking it off the wall and examining it. _Okay, that feels pretty good_... He thought, as he hefted its weight in his hands. _Really good..._ He added, biting his lip thoughtfully, as he glanced briefly at the price tag.

"What is it, little doodlejump?" Raj asked, cocking his head curiously at the awed and longing expression on Taylors face.

"You remember last time we were here to gear up, rescuing Diego?" Taylor asked, glancing at Raj briefly as he frowned but nodded. "I think Jake said it's called a _Pole Saw..?_ They only had the display one at the tim-"

"I'll tell you what it is." Zahra said, as she came around the counter and practically bounced her way over to them. "It's a chainsaw... _on a stick_!" She grabbed Taylor by the front of his top, her eyes wide as she looked him in the eye. _"Please_ tell me you're gonna buy it..!"

"You should totally get it." Raj agreed, grinning as he watched Taylor dither and twirl the pile saw experimentally. "Dude! This thing'll tear through those plant monsters like they're _nothing!"_ He cheered, shaking his head as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Way better than my weapon idea. I was just gonna grab one of the big sticks in the parking lot..." He said, his cheeks darkening in embarrassment at the confession.

Taylor sucked in a deep breath, hesitating a moment longer as he debated; before breaking out in a wide grin and leaning against the pole saw fondly. "Yeah, okay... There's no way I'm passing this thing up. Glorious carnage, here we come." He said, bumping his fist first to Raj's and then to Zahra's.

"Hell _yesss."_ She hissed, smirking deviously as she eyed the pole saw longingly, before glancing at Taylor hopefully. "You're gonna let me borrow it sometimes, right?"

"For _what?!"_ Raj blurted, coughing in surprise as he stared at Zahra in wide eyed shock. "You got some landscaping to do?" 

"If it means I get to swing stuff like _that_ around," Zahra scoffed, eyeing the pole saw longingly. "I will _find_ something to landscape."

Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes, joining the rest of his friends at the front of the store. He moved up to the main counter, getting into line behind Sean; as he paid for a large crowbar. Turning, he stopped short upon seeing Taylor holding the pole saw. _"What?!"_ He gasped, his eyes widening in awe. "Where do they keep _those?!"_

"Sorry dude, think I got the last one." Taylor snickered unrepentantly. He smirked as Sean stared at the pole saw, clearly longing for his own as he tucked his crowbar under his arm.

"Is everyone quite finished?" Aleister drawled from the doorway, his arms folded over his chest as he eyed Taylors choice of weapon with a raised brow, yet chose not to comment.

"Yeah, lets do this!" Taylor replied, before remembering he hadn't yet paid for his own item. "Be with you in a sec..." He added, clearing his throat and grinning when Jake rolled his eyes at his approach. 

"Well, I'd ask what the hell ya want one of those for but... I don't think I actually wanna know." He said, shaking his head as he rang up the price on the register.

"Probably a wise decision." Taylor said lightly, snickering as he dug out his card from his wallet and paid for his latest addition to his personal arsenal. "So..." He huffed, glancing up at Jake nervously, before he winked as he half turned toward the exit. "Wish us luck, yeah?" He said, waving over his shoulder, only for his hand to be snagged by Jake's.

"Hey..." He said, frowning and clearly troubled as he eyed Taylor and worried his lip briefly. "I know I ain't part of ya little, monster hunter troupe, but..." The pilot sighed, slipping around the counter as he tugged Taylor toward him and held him close. "Be safe. Becca... _You..._ All of ya." He whispered, knocking his forehead to Taylors gently. "Kick some shadow monster ass, then come back. Ya hear me? 'Cause I ain't goin' to this stupid dance thing if ya get yaselves hurt..." He threatened, as Taylor laughed quietly.

"I'm gonna be making sure nobody gets hurt this time, Top Gun." Taylor whispered back, peering into Jake's clear eyes determinedly. He hesitated for a moment, before pulling away slightly and rummaging in his pocket. "Here." He said, holding Jake's hand up between them and pressing a small metal key into his palm. "You can get the place ready for us, when we're finished. I expect pizza, alcohol... and kisses." He said, snickering at the look of surprise on Jake's face. 

"Taylor-" he began, swallowing heavily as he glanced up at Taylors calm and confident expression. He sighed quietly, shaking his head as he reached up and trailed his knuckles over Taylors cheek gently. "Good luck." He finally said, his lips skimming Taylors forehead briefly as he nodded. "... _Please_ be careful." He murmured, as Taylor gripped his arm briefly.

"I will." He whispered back, forcing a confident smile to his face. _"Promise."_ He leaned up and quickly pressed his lips to Jake's cheek, before turning and quickly walking away and into the night. Outside the store, he drew in a deep breath, yearning to turn around and return to Jake; but forcing himself to wall over to Rebecca's car, throwing his pole saw into her trunk before quickly hopping into the back, where Tetra promptly nuzzled into his lap.

Rebecca glanced at him in her rearview mirror, but chose not to comment as he turned to stare out the window, instead starting her engine and following Aleister as he led then down the back roads out of town. Taylors mind and heart were such a whirl of thoughts and emotions, that he was clambering back out of Rebecca's car what felt like only seconds later; finding himself once more standing at the edge of the dark woods. "You know, I'm getting this feeling; like déjà vu..."

"Is it déjà vu?" Zahra scoffed, as she retrieved his pole saw from Rebecca's trunk and handed it to him. "'Cause that'd probably explain it."

"This is it..." Taylor said, drawing in a deep breath as he ignored Zahra and her sarcastic needling.

"Hope this goes better than last time, doodlejumps..." Raj commented lightly, twirling a large stick in his hand.

"It will." Taylor said firmly, his hands curling into fists as his expression hardened, looking around his friends determinedly. "It has to." He said, clutching Ximaedra's instructions and reading them through for what could have been either the tenth or hundredth time. "We've got to leave one goblet at the entrance to the ruins... Zahra and I will take care of that-"

"We will?" Zahra interrupted, narrowing her eyes at Taylor as she grimaced, before averting her eyes to glare at the woods. "Rad... Bring it, Redfield."

"Then, we'll come meet the rest of you at the clearing." Taylor concluded, as if he hadn't heard Zahra's interruption at all.

"Sounds like a remarkably solid plan." Aleister said, his expression thoughtful as he gazed between Taylor and Zahra with obvious concern.

"Why do you sound so surprised by that? And why do I feel like I should be _offended_ by your surprise?" Taylor pouted, scowling petulantly at his pale friend.

"Because _your_ plans are usually asinine, half cocked concoctions of madness, which are usually only successful through either sheer luck or a confounding case of your own stubborness." Aleister replied glibly, his lips curving into a faint smirk.

Taylor opened his mouth to give a scathing reply, but was cut off when Rebecca threw her arms around his neck and drew him into a tight hug. "Be careful..." She said, squeezing him tightly, before quickly doing the same to Zahra, as she glared at the redhead.

"Yeah, you guys too..." She said reluctantly, as Rebecca finally released her. "Watch out for gross skeleton monsters." She scoffed, as Tetra raised his head and yelped curiously. "Of course, _you're_ not gross, Tetra..! Those other skeletons are _way_ less cute than you!" Zahra cooed, scratching behind the creatures rotted ear as the others traded unsettled glances over her babied tones.

One by one, Taylors friends began to walk forward into the forest. He took a deep breath as Tetra nuzzled his hand briefly, his heart slowly but steadily beating faster, before he finally followed his friends into the trees. "Come on, Snape." He said, leading her along a different path to the others as they jogged towards the ruins. They paused at the edge of the clearing, staring at the decrepit house they'd not seen in ten years.

"Looks just the same..." Zahra said lowly, shivering as she finally looked away from the small structure. "Hurry up, Taylor. This place gives me the creeps." She muttered, reaching down to stroke Tetra's bony head as he whined quietly.

Taylor swallowed heavily, before forcing his feet to carry him forward, slowly approaching the building of his every worst nightmare. He paused just outside, staring into the darkness within, a familiar tug pulling just within his chest. He scowled, forcing the feeling away as he quickly ducked down and left one of the goblets Ximaedra had given them just inside the doorway, before hurrying back across the clearing. "Come on..." He muttered lowly as he passed Zahra, the pair of them hurrying to rejoin the rest of their friends in the clearing after their quick detour.

"Run into any trouble?" Sean asked, when he caught sight of them breaking through the trees.

"Nope." Taylor said, shaking his head as he approaches and bumped his fist to Sean's. "First goblets ready to go." He said, taking the other goblet from Raj and setting it down upon the large stump in the centre of the clearing.

"So, um..." Quinn coughed, clearing her throat as she stepped up beside him, her hand slipping into his as she looked around the group. "What, exactly, do we have to do?"

"Looks like..." Zahra said, snatching the instructions from Taylor and scanning them rapidly. "Two people need to read the incantations written here. As soon as we start the spell, Mr. Red will be drawn toward this clearing."

"Hooray..." Raj interjected glumly, unable to repress a shiver of disgust and horror.

"We light the goblet on fire, which somehow lights the _other_ goblet..." Zahra continued, ignoring Raj's sad pout. "The two flames then become a bridge, which channels Mr. Red back into the ruins. Then... _boom._ The flames go out, and he's sealed inside. Again."

"So..." Taylor said, shaking himself from his strange sense of disassociation. "Who wants to read the words?" He asked, looking around his friends as he blinked away the last of the fuzziness from his mind. "You'd have to read through the whole spell, and Mr. Red will do whatever he can to stop you..."

"We really must work on your motivational speaking, Taylor." Aleister hummed thoughtfully, shaking his head almost fondly.

"I'll do it. I'm not exactly much of a fighter anyway..." Quinn said, biting her lip as she shrugged her shoulders apologetically, her hands folding behind her back. "Becca? Do you..." She trailed off as Rebecca dumped her purse out on the ground, refilling it with large rocks before she gave it a few experimental swings.

 _"Nope."_ She said, looking around them all with a fierce scowl. "I got me some anger to work out... Preferably on Mr. Red's stupid, butt ugly _face."_

 _"Ahem..._ I'll read with you." Aleister said tactfully, looking over at Taylor with a wry grin. "Just... do attempt to keep anything from ripping our heads off in the process, yes?"

"Don't worry." Sean said firmly, swining his crowbar experimentally. "We've got your backs." He said, as Taylor nodded and stepped back slightly, twirling his pole saw briefly as everyone arranged themselves into a loose circle around the stump; with Quinn and Aleister in the centre with the goblet.

"Is everyone ready?" Quinn asked, looking around them all slowly, as if committing their faces to her memory.

Around the circle, Taylor watched as Sean gripped his crowbar, and Rebecca hefted her rock filled purse. He saw Raj clutch at his branch, and Zahra draw a long knife from her boot. He turned his attention to his pole saw, yanking the starter handle and smiling briefly as the small engine thrummed to life. "Bring it on." He said firmly, smiling again as he looked around his friends, his heart swelling with affection. "One last thing..." He added quickly, as they all looked toward him. "I love you guys." He said seriously, drawing in a deep breath as something within him, a pain he'd stopped even noticing; seemed to ease and soothe itself. _This... This is what it feels like to have family. Real family._ He thought, ducking his head shyly as he chuckled briefly.

 _"Barf."_ Zahra scoffed, though she was smirking when he glanced across at her, even throwing him a cocky wink for good measure.

"Shut up." He snarked, an irrepressible grin spreading across his face as his cheeks flamed with heat. His amusement faded however, his expression turning serious as Quinn took a deep breath, and finally began to read.

 _"Power of the ancient trees, glorious song of all that grows_..." She said, as Aleister stood tall beside her, one hand resting lightly upon her shoulder as he picked up the next line.

"... _by right if our covenant, we summon thee._ " He said determinedly. Taylor tightened his grip on his pole sqe, as a frigid wind whipped through the clearing, carrying the sounds of growls and gnashing teeth.

"Remember..." Taylor called around the circle, scowling as he glanced around the woods, knowing the peaceful serenity of the woods was only a deceitful façade. "We have to protect Aleister and Quinn, or else all of this will be for nothing."

"Got it, dude." Raj said firmly, swinging his branch as he glared into the trees. Beside Taylor, Tetra's hackles rose, and he bared his teeth, snarling quietly as he lowered his head in anticipation.

"... _come before us_..." Taylor heard Quinn say, as he noticed dark shapes begin to move in the undergrowth, while amber eyes burned amid the trees.

 _"Come before us."_ Aleister repeated, as Taylor narrowed his eyes at another shape, larger than the rest; which moved to the edge of the clearing, moonlight illuminating their face.

"Wait a second, is that..?!" Sean gasped, as he noticed the shape, his eyes widening as his grip on his crowbar slackened.

"No!" Taylor growled, scowling as the figure smiled menacingly. "Sean, don't let him get in your head!" He called, repeating Ximaedra's warning to him.

"Looks like I stumbled into a loser convention." They said, voice dripping with familiar sarcasm, as the hairs on the back of Taylors neck stood on end.

"You're _not_ Craig!" He yelled, scowling at the mimicked form of the hospitalized boy at the edge of the trees.

"I know, brah." The Craig lookalike huffed amicably, grinning menacingly as they took a step forward. "But, I'm still gonna kick your ass." They said, as shadows writhed in the trees behind them. Taylors focus narrowed suddenly, as he caught sight of a darker figure, barely visible but for its glowing eyes. "Remember what I said at Meech's party?" The Craig mimic continued, stepping closer again. "How I was gonna make you pay, for all your smartass comments? Your little friends here... Your _dashing hero..."_ He leered, his grin twisting with malicious glee, as Taylors heart clenched, his terrified thoughts turning to Jake as he realised the pilot was already a potential target. "They threw me out, that time... But _this_ time?" The Craig mimic taunted, raising its arms slowly. "I brought some friends too." 

The bushes around Taylor and his friends exploded suddenly, a snarling wave of skeletal creatures charging towards them. "Here they come!" Taylor warned, his eyes wide as his heart raced, distracted by the thought of Jake being in danger _. I can't think of this now! Concentrate! He_ thought desperately, dropping to a ready crouch as three of the creatures charged toward him. _If we get this right, he won't be in danger anyway... Come on, Taylor! Focus_! He thought sharply, shaking off his distraction as he narrowed his eyes and glanced toward Sean on his right, who was holding his crowbar tight, ready to swing.

"I got the middle one!" The athlete yelled, scowling at the approaching trio. "Taylor, you take the left! Becca, the right!" He called sharply, his attention focused on their attackers.

"Got it!" Rebecca replied, glaring at the skeletal beasts as they approached, raising her rock filled purse to the ready.

"Lets dance." Taylor sneered, growling as he thrust his pole sae straight into the left creatures mouth, sending shredded vines and chunks of bone flying in every direction. He looked over at Sean, who had caved in the skull of the center creature. 

Rebecca swung her purse like a mace, taking the right creatures head clean off its shoulders. "Whoa... that..." She gasped, her eyes wide as she turned toward Taylor in surprise. "Did you _see_ that?" She demanded, blinking in disbelief at the carnage they'd wrought.

 _"Woo!"_ Sean cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "Hell yeah, we got this party sussed!" He cried, though his cocky attitude faltered slightly as another snarling, skeletal creature began charging toward Taylor.

 _"Aah!"_ He yelped, caught by surprise as he turned to face the beast. Before he could swing his pole daw to attack however, Tetra slammed into the other skeletal creature from the side, smashing it to the ground and howling furiously, as he grabbed another creature by its spine; shaking it ferociously, until it finally stopped moving. He dropped it, turning to look up at Taylor with a skeletal grin. "Aw, who's my good undead boy?" Taylor cooed affectionately, chuckling when Tetra wagged his stump of a tail, before hurrying off to fight other creatures.

Taylor turned to the center of the clearing as through the chaos, he heard Quinn and Aleister's voices ring clear and strong, continuing to read from Ximaedra's spell. _"Power of the earth and stone, furious wind and rushing creek_..." Quinn called, scowling as she concentrated fiercely on her task.

" _... by the right of our covenant, we bid thee, listen_..." Aleister intoned, as he glanced at the madness ensuing around them, mindful and protective of Quinn.

 _"Heed our words_..." Quinn said firmly, narrowing her eyes at the paper in determination.

 _"Heed our wor_ -" Aleister began to repeat, just as Taylor jumped, startled by Raj's loud warning cry.

"Look out!" The large boy yelled desperately, as two creatures managed to dodge around him; dashing straight for Aleister and Quinn.

Taylor immediately set off after them, his legs driving him forward quickly. _I... I don't think I can reach both in time_! He thought, meeting Aleister's eyes briefly and receiving a small nod toward Quinn, as the pale boy attempted to keep reading. Taylor narrowed his eyes and pushed himself harder, leaping forward and bringing his pole saw down like a scythe, shearing straight through one of the creatures spines. It collapsed in a heap at Quinn's feet, its eyes burning out.

"Th-thanks for the save, Taylor!" Quinn gasped, smiling at him gratefully, before Taylor quickly turned toward Aleister; just in time to see the other creatures jaws clamp down on the pale boys arm.

"Desist at once, you undead, mangy _flea bag_!" Aleister roared, scowling at the creature as he grit his teeth against the pain.

"Aleister!" Taylor cried, racing forward as Quinn leapt over to their friends side. Together, they managed to pry the creatures jaws open. Taylor shoved it aside, and Quinn quickly grabbed a rick; smashing it into the creatures head viciously.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, reaching for Aleister's arm. "You're bleeding!" She cried, her eyes welling with tears of guilt and concern.

"I will likely require stitches..." Aleister drawled, clinically assessing the wound. "But I shall live. Now come along, we must conclude this nonsense." He insisted, drawing Quinn back into the incantation.

"Could use some help over here!" Zahra yelled, scowling as Taylor saluted Quinn and Aleister quickly, before sprinting to the other side of the clearing; where Raj was struggling to hold a thrashing creature, while Zahra slashed at it with her knife. "Damn it, Raj! Hold it still!"

"I'm _trying!"_ Raj yelled back, glaring at the creature as he struggled to keep his grip on it. "It- _Aah!"_ He cried, as it slipped out of his grasp and lunged at Zahra.

"Oh fu-" Zahra cursed, her eyes widening in anticipation of its imminent attack.

 _"Hey, ugly!"_ Taylor yelled, causing the creature to pause just long enough that he was able to stab his saw blade through its skeleton, pinning it to the ground. 

Zahra's expression morphed into a scowl, as she lined up and kicked it in its head, sending its skull flying into the trees. "Huh..." She hummed thoughtfully, smirking at the now still corpse, as Taylor tugged his saw blade free of the ground. "Maybe I should take up soccer."

"Thanks, dude..." Raj panted, his relief palpable as he jogged over and clapped Taylor on the shoulder. "That one got away from me."

"No problem." Taylor said, winking at them both briefly before glancing around the clearing. He watched as his friends continued to struggle against the skeletal creatures; about to move back into the fray and help, when he heard the sound of slow, sarcastic applause strike up from the clearings edge.

"Damn, not bad, Taylor." The Craig mimic admittedly, their expression thoughtful as they considered the group. "Maybe you nerds are tougher than I gave you credit for." They leered, while behind them, Redfield seethed and hissed; hovering just outside the boundary of the clearing.

Redfield knows we're trying to trap him. Taylor thought grimly, grimacing as he tightened his grip on his pole saw. He won't risk coming after us himself... until he's got no other choice. He thought, steeling himself as he pointed his weapon at the creature wearing Craig's face. "Get over here!" He called, jerking his chin toward them tauntingly. I'll show you how tough I am." 

Redfield reached forward with one clawed hand, resting it atop the Craig mimics head. _"I thought you'd never ask..."_ They drawled in an unnaturally deep voice. Taylors heart sank as before his eyes, Craig's flesh began to warp and bulge, skin tearing and falling away to reveal dirt and stone beneath.

 _"Ruuuuuuuhhhhhhhh!"_ The creature roared, causing the entire clearing to fall silent and pause its flurry of activity, as everyone turned towards its hulking form.

"Holy... crap..." Sean gasped, his eyes wide as he beheld the behemoth dirt monster, lumbering toward Taylor.

"What he said!" Raj choked, stumbling back a step as he stared at the creature in disbelief. "Maybe you could _not_ piss off anymore of the monsters Taylor, dude!" He yelped, hurriedly turning back to a bone creature and fending it off with his branch.

Taylor gaped in shock, as the stone creature advanced on him, seeming taller with every step. "Wow..." He breathed, gripping his pole saw tightly, as his expression hardened; his confidence returning as he stared down the approaching beast. "You're even uglier than I remember." He sneered, his hand rising to his neck briefly, revealing the still healing marks from when he'd first been attacked in his room.

"Funny..." The stone creature said as with surprising speed, it lurched forward, one huge hand clamping around Taylors arm.

"Hey!" Taylor yelled, scowling at the creature, as he reversed his grip on the pole saw and pulled the trigger, revving the engine to its full speed as he twisted, and brought the blade down on the creatures arm. "No _touching_ asshole!" The stone creature roared in pain, dropping Taylor, as its arm crumbled off at the elbow. "Paws off, jerk!"

"You..." It panted, its expression furious as it glared hatefully at Taylor. "You'll _pay_ for that..!" It declared, stooping and picking up its own severed fist, a clump of rocks and dirt the size of a basketball. With a grunt of exertion, it hurled the heavy mass directly at Taylors head.

"Oh crap..." Taylor muttered, raising his weapon defensively. His saw chewed straight through the projectile with ease, spraying dirt and pebbles everywhere. "Ooooh... I _like_ this toy." He cooed proudly, smirking at the beast. 

The stone creature grimaced in frustration, shaking its injured arm; as its stump began to grow back. _"What?!"_ Taylor cried, scowling as he thrust his pile saw toward the repairing limb accusingly. "No fair! I call foul play!" He growled, as the stone creature flexed its new hand and sneered at him.

"I owe you bruises, Taylor..." It taunted, lumbering a few steps closer. _"And,_ some broken bones." It threatened, as Taylor cautiously backed away in time with its approach, maintaining the distance between them.

 _"Taylor!"_ Rebecca yelled, clearly terrified for his safety. "Don't ya dare try and hurt him, ya ugly brute! He just promised my brother he would be okay!" She scolded the beast fearlessly.

"Back off, creep!" Zahra growled, scowling at the stone monster. Taylor glanced over at his friends, as they tried to run to him, only for the vine creatures to surge forward; forcing them to keep fighting.

 _Looks like I'm on my own for this one, and unlike me; he can heal whenever I hurt him._.. He thought dismally, before he grimaced determinedly and re-gripped his weapon tightly. _But there's got to be some way to put him down for good_! He thought determinedly, his eyes widening suddenly as he caught sight of something familiar, hidden among the rocks which dotted the creatures chest. _That rune... It looks just like_ \- Taylor thought back to the morning after his first attack, recalling the strange stone Lila had found for him. _I know what I have to do_. He thought firmly, narrowing his eyes as he set his feet and raised his pole saw defiantly.

Taylor growled as he bent his knees before he launched himself forward, duckinf under the creatures next punch and stabbing his pole saw right into its chest, shattering the carved stone. _"Hyah!"_ He growled, as the stone creature roared in distress.

"No!" It gasped, as the stone cracked. The creature began to crumble, and in the trees, Redfield let out an ear splitting howl of rage.

_"Nooooooooo!"_

"'Fraid so." Taylor taunted smugly, winking coyly into the tree line, as he buffed his fingers against his top. _"Ah-!"_ He gasped suddenly, as Redfield surged forward suddenly, eyes boiling with rage and moving almost too fast to follow.

Cold fingers clamped around Taylors throat, two pits of deep red flame blazing just inches from his eyes as Redfield lifted him almost entirely from the floor. _"Yooouuuu..."_ He hissed, his flaming eyes narrowing as Taylors widened in shock. " _Ruin! Everything_!" Redfield roared, snarling at Taylor, as he flailed furiously and tried to regain his footing; his heart racing nervously in his chest. " _Hhhhhate you._.!"

 _"Nngh..."_ Taylor choked, his vision beginning to spot with black as Redfield's fingers tightened, constricting his airway further and cutting off Taylors breath entirely. Frantically, Taylor looked around the clearing, looking for his friends. He wheezed, desperately gasping for breath as he watched Sean's crowbar strike out left and right; leaving a trail of broken enemies in its wake.

"That's right!" The athlete riared, unaware of Taylors predicament. "Mess with a Gayle; we'll give you Hayle!"

Nearby, he saw Rebecca dodge and twirl between attacking creatures, her purse a shimmering blur as it slammed through skulls. _"Woo!"_ She cried, laughing as she smashed her purse into another creatures head. "You messed with the wrong cheerleader!"

On the other side if the clearing, Taylor spotted Zahra and Raj, brandishing their weapons at another group of snarling beasts. "I'm gonna make you boney freaks wish you were never... Uh, summoned. Or whatever." She declared, scowling at the hatefully.

"I am _not_ letting it end like this, ugly monster dudes!" Raj insisted, narrowing his eyes in determination. "Not when we're so close..." Taylor relaxed slightly, seeing his friends were all unharmed, but still caught up fighting, pleased they weren't also subjected to Redfield's fury at least. 

Redfield's grip tightened further, beginning to burn against Taylors skin. He felt his strength being drained out of him, and his disjointed thoughts turned to the pilot he knew would already be waiting at his house. _"Hrnnn!"_ He choked, closing his eyes briefly as he desperately tried to suck in a breath of air. _Sorry... Top Gun_... He thought, his throat burning as the dark spots in his vision grew larger. _Looks like I... broke my promise..._

 _"Are you scared, Taylor_?" Redfield hissed, a taunting whisper against his ear.

Taylors heart clenched and he scowled as he felt his fury, frustration and guilt flare into a brief surge of strength. " _I'm._.." He rasped, glaring into Redfield's fiery gaze. _"Nnnot..."_ He choked, swallowing thickly against the obstruction around his throat. _"Scared..!"_

 _"Ha!"_ Redfield scoffed, throwing Taylor to the ground, as he began to float unhurriedly toward Quinn and Aleister. Taylor sucked in great gasps of air, watching helplessly as Aleister stepped protectively in front of Quinn, his jaw set as he continued to read the words of the spell.

" _Power of flame and shadows, keeper of darkest secrets_..." He said firmly, scowling at Redfield hatefully as he approached them.

Quinn stared up at Redfield defiantly, shouting the spell into his face. " _By the right of our covenant, we bind thee_!" She yelled furiously, as Taylor weakly tried to push himself to his knees.

 _"Nooooo..."_ Redfield gasped, his fiery eyes widening in obvious surprise, as Taylor dragged himself forward, feeling in his pocket.

"Trouble us..." He rasped, glaring up at Redfield as he flopped into a heap beside the stump, just as his aching fingers found the lighter. "No more..." He choked, as he strained ti flick the striker, igniting a tiny flame. " _Trouble us no more_!" He yelled, wincing at the pain in his throat.

 _"No!"_ Redfield roared, descending toward Taylor with a furious howl, his claws outstretched; but too late, as Taylor touched the flame to the goblet, and a line of blue fire shot out from its center, streaking toward the ruins. _"Nooooooooo!"_ Redfield shrieked, as his body thinned and stretched, like ink pouring down a drain. Within seconds, he vanished entirely into the flames.

All around them, skeletal creatures fell to the ground, the lights in their eyes winking out. Tetra sniffed curiously at the pile of bones, before trotting over to sit by Taylors side, nuzzling him with a worried whimper. "... We did it." Taylor whispered hoarsely, trembling as he tried to push to his feet. 

The flames inside the goblet flared high, before flickering out and finally vanishing entirely. "Wait... _really?"_ Raj exclaimed, looking around in disbelief, as he panted heavily. "It actually worked?"

"It... would appear so." Aleister huffed, cradling his injured arm against his chest,the blood a stark contrast to his white jumper and pale complexion.

"Are... are we sure?" Quinn asked, rushing to Taylors side and helping Rebecca to pull him to his feet. "Is he actually..."

Zahra walked over, retrieving Ximaedra's goblet. "One way to find out." She said, shrugging a shoulder as she looked around the group. Taylor grunted as he struggled to make his feet obey, stumbling toward the trees as Rebecca and Quinn tried to restrain him, before giving in with a sigh and helping him instead, upon catching the determined set of his jaw and brow.

A short and dizzying walk later, Taylor and his friends cautiously stepped into a familiar clearing. "It's so... peaceful." Taylor murmured tiredly, exhaustion washing over him in waves.

"Yeah..." Raj said, fidgeting as he glanced toward the ruined house distrustfully. "I guess."

Zahra strolled right up to the ruins, quickly snatching up Ximaedra's other goblet, before backing away again. "Ugh..." She groaned, shaking her head as her face fell. "I can definitely feel something in there. And it is _pissed."_

"Can you blame him?" Sean asked quietly, almost sounding sympathetic as he stared into the dark doorway thoughtfully. "Who'd wanna spend eternity trapped in _that_ crappy place?"

"This could all be a trick of some sort..." Quinn said worriedly, looking into the darkness uncertainly before looking around them all imploringly.

"How should we know if the spell did as it was devised to, or if it were a deception on Redfield part..?" Aleister wondered aloud, as Taylor stared at the ruins, his thoughts returning to the first time he ever saw them; alone in the woods with only his best friend.

" _Whoa, what is this place?" He recalled asking, as his best friend grinned beside him._

 _"Dunno! But watch this..!" They replied eagerly, scooping up a pebble and tossing it at the house_.

Taylor looked down, his consciousness returning to the present as his friends helped him to keep his balance. He lowered himself carefully to the floor, ignoring his friends concerned looks as he picked up a small pebble. "We have to test it..." He said hoarsely, his throat burning with every word he forces free. He pushed back to his feet, and tossed the pebble with all his might at the house. It sailed straight over the threshold; and then stopped in mid-air.

"No frickin' way..." Rebecca gasped, staring in wide eyed disbelief at the hovering pebble, before it dropped straight to the floor. 

Taylors knees buckled, and he sank quickly to the ground, tears welling in his eyes as he started to laugh gruffly. "It's... over." He gasped between rough chuckles, as his friends knelt beside him, pulling him into a warm embrace from all sides. "Wh... what the hell do we do next?" He rasped when he finished his painful laughter, gazing around them with a giddy smile and a distant gaze.

Rebecca laughed, squeezing him tighter. "Seriously? Next comes the most important thing of all!" She said, smiling brightly.

"The SATs?!" Aleister demanded, his face lighting with panic as his friends laughed quietly at his one tracked thoughts.

"No, dummy..." Rebecca snorted, winking up at them all. _"Homecoming!"_ She said, laughing when they all noticeably relaxed in relief. "But first," she said, jabbing Taylor in the chest warningly. "My brother's expectin' ya, so we have to get ya home... and maybe to a hospital, 'cause if I know Jake, he's gonna be pissed about this..." She said, gesturing to Taylors throat. Taylor grimaced, about to open his mouth with a witty reply, when his exhaustion consumed him, his eyes rolling up on his head as darkness rushed toward him; for the first time, an entirely welcome reprieve.


	16. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooooo!
> 
> It is 2.10am - and its taken me an hour of editing to finaih this puppy up - i know instill mossed a couple thing, i always do, but god im pleased this is ready :D
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it! I cant wait to hear what you make of it becauee i am really desperately omg freaking out kind of really wantkng to know what you think. I always am really; but definitely even more than nornal today...
> 
> I love you all for reading! Thankyou so much for all your comtinued support and encouragement; i cant thankyou enough, ever ♡♡♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**16.**

**Homecoming**.

Taylor hummed happily and slowly blinked awake in the warm light of the autumn morning, slanting through his bedroom window. For a moment he tensed, as he did every morning over the past week, until his muscles slowly began to relax; one by one, as he remembered. "'S over..." He slurred as was his ritual, waking fully as a happy grin spread across his face. "I can't believe it's finally, _actually_ over." He said, letting out a giddy laugh.

"I can't believe ya wake up sayin' the same damn thing every day." Jake snorted, pushing away from his bedroom door and shaking his head fondly, as he approached with a small tube of cream.

"Hey, I'm feeling good, okay? Stop being a sergeant buzzkill first thing im the morning, Top Gun." He pouted, looking down as he felt pressure against his blanket, as Fiddler crawled onto his chest, laying in the beam of sunlight. "Quiet you, its not talking to myself when there's other people in the house... Even if I have tried getting them all to leave!" He called out his door, rolling his eyes as he heard several amused snickers. "Hmmph, well never mind them... I should be talking to you instead." He said fondly, jolting with a yelp as a heavier weight pressed against his blanket. He laughed while Jake sighed, as Furball scrambled up his chest and began licking his face. "No, I didn't forget about _you!"_ He snickered, scratching behind his ears while Fiddler batted uselessly at his fur.

"Ya know Boy Scout, ya could open this place to the public, and start chargin' people for admission." Jake huffed, rolling his eyes as he sat at the edge of Taylors bed and gestured for him to sit up.

Taylor grinned and sat up slowly as Furball turned and licked Fiddlers nose, startling the kitten and causing her to back away in shock. He smirked as his blanket fell away to reveal his bare chest, raising a brow at the pilot, who remained utterly unfazed by his show of skin, as he tilted his chin up to examine his throat. "Lookin' better..." Jake hummed thoughtfully, his gaze softening slightly in obvious relief, as he began to apply the cream to Taylors bruises.

"You know, you could seem a _little_ bit pleased to see me without my clothes on..." Taylor grumbled, sighing forlornly as Jake's lips twitched with amusement, his clear eyes darting up to meet Taylors dark blue gaze briefly, before returning to his throat. "You don't even blink at the sight of my chiselled features or bare skin... I mean, you haven't even wondered aloud if I'm wearing underwear; or tried to find out personally! Sometimes I wonder if you even want my body at a-" his petulant ramblings quieted as Jake gently lowered his chin and pressed his lips to Taylors, kissing him until he'd forgotten the many complaints he had yet to list.

"When ya start tryin' to jump someone every time ya see 'em, they stop bein' surprised..." He muttered quietly, his lips trailing a soft path of fire along Taylors jaw as his breath hitched hopefully. "... but that don't mean they ain't interested." He added, as his hand slid over Taylors leg, gliding over the blanket as it rose past his thigh toward the top of the blanket, his fingers brushing the bare skin of Taylors side briefly; causing his heart to lurch and his pulse ro quicken, as he laid his hand behind Jake's neck and held him close. "But unlucky for _you..."_ Jake drawled lowly, nipping Taylors ear lobe and causing him to yelp in surprise. "I got plans for the entire day." Jake whispered in his ear smugly, smirking as Taylors thundering heart crashed to a sudden halt in his chest.

"Huh?" He asked uncomprehendingly, blinking as his dazed gaze began to clear slowly. "Oh... _my god._ You... You're _evil..!"_ Taylor burst, nearly weeping in frustration as he pouted at Jake sullenly. "I thought you were finally..."

"Taylor, don't be an idiot. There ain't exactly some sorta expiry date on ya virginity." Jake sighed, rolling his eyes as he huffed in amusement and drew back from him slightly, his knuckles grazing Taylors cheek gently. "Besides which, ya still in school; and just because ya eighteen and its ya homecomin' tonight, don't mean it has to be _now."_ He added knowingly, the argument familiar and easy to predict.

"You know you're no fun." Taylor groused, glaring down at his own lap petulantly. "I bet one of the others wouldn't have turned ne down if I'd offered myself to them so graciously." He snarked, his lips twitching slightly as Jake's hand twitched beside his hip, as if about to grip him tightly.

"Then I guess it's lucky we all had a little chat, and understand that ya off limits to their pawin' mitts." Jake said, smirking when Taylor looked up at him in surprise. "Hey, ya come back unconscious; ya gonna miss shit. Next time don't almost get yaself killed, in fact, just don't make a next time anythin'..." Jake groused, trailing off into quiet mutterings to himself.

Taylor broke out in a slow grin, leaning closer to duck his head and capture Jake's lips in a sweet and unhurried kiss. "You claimed me, huh?" He asked quietly, his forehead resting to Jake's as he bit his lip and watched Jake's expression soften.

"Course I did, ya idiot. I ain't riskin' losin' ya to anyone now." He scoffed, his hand curling unconsciously around Taylors hip and drawing him closer. "I almost lost ya to some stupid, shouldn't even be real, shadow monster. Ain't lettin' some damn schoolboy's steal ya away now." He snorted, as Taylors grin grew and he kissed Jake again, humming contently as he curled his arms around the pilots neck.

 _"Jake..."_ He breathed, as the pilot deepened the kiss, his hand gripping Taylors hip tightly enough he thought it might bruise, before his fingers twitched slightly and his hand finally began to dip below the blankets; only for Furball to yip and Fiddler to hiss, as they scrambled away from the pair, shocking them apart from where they'd unconsciously been moving to lay on the bed.

 _"Ahem..._ saved by the pettin' zoo." Jake huffed, drawing back and running a hand through his hair distractedly, as he cleared his throat and glanced away.

"Lucky _you."_ Taylor grimaced, glaring at the fox and small kitten accusingly. "Urgh, I can't believe I just came so close..." He complained, flopping back to his pillow and staring up at his ceiling dejectedly. "... and still fell so far."

"Cheer up, Boy Scout." Jake said, winking as he stood from the bed and put some thought clearing distance between them. "Least now ya know I want ya body. And... I know ya _ain't_ wearing anythin' else, after all." He added, laughing and ducking out the room when Taylor flushed crimson and lobbed a pillow at him. "C'mon, get ya ass ready. This is my last day off work, and I ain't usin' it to babysit all of you brats anymore. Besides, I'm sure ya got somewhere ya'll gotta be on ya last daytime before the big event tonight?" He called through the house, receiving several cheers and whoops and a single defiant sneer from Zahra.

Taylor sighed, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the ceiling, enjoying the sounds of life in his home. His friends, and Jake, had all been unwilling to leave him alone in the house since their return from the woods, spending his week of suspension staying over and in some cases even skipping the occasional day of school to stay back with him. He cherished every moment, touched beyond words at the sense of family and camaraderie he felt toward them all. He finally threw off his covers, sliding his feet from his bed and deftly crossing the room to retrieve some underwear and clothing, as he recalled the few moments he'd been left to amuse himself; the brief interludes where he'd finally been able to settle the odd tasks he'd almost forgotten about in all the craziness of Redfield's vengeful assault on them.

After stepping into a clean pair of boxers, he paused before his mirror, raising his chin to examine the healing bruises Redfield had left  upon his throat. _If this is the price of knowing they're all safe_..? He thought, shaking his head slowly as his eyes roved over the dark patches of skin; which were quickly healing with the help of Jake's determined application of various creams and ointments. _I'd gladly pay it, a hundred times over._ He thought, clearing his throat as he turned away and began to tug on his clothes for the day; making sure to roll up the neck of his vest to cover the marks.

He turned to his dresser, opening a top drawer and peeking inside at the eight envelopes sitting within, grinning as a ripple of excitement travelled down his spine. He shut the drawer, and bit his lip as he turned away, bouncing across the room to where Fiddler was hissing at Furball, while the fox playfully pounced on her. "Okay, you two." He said cheerfully, scooping Fiddler up and tucking her beneath his chin, as Furball scampered up to his shoulder. "Let's get you some breakfast." He laughed as Furball yipped excitedly, launching himself to the floor and circling him briefly, before racing out the door; his nails clacking against the staircase as he dove down to the kitchen. Taylor snickered and followed at a slower pace, grabbing his bag and heading down to join the rest of his family.

"Pardon me!" Aleister called, as he dashed past him at the bottom of the stairs, dodging around Taylor in a graceful maneuver, as he collected various papers from around the hallway. "Quinn thought it would be amusing to distribute my notations on International Trading and Global Economics throughout your quaint hobbit hole, Taylor." He explained distractedly, as he continued down the hall.

"Ha, c'mon dork. Loser buys lunch." Zahra snarked, bracing her elbow on the coffee table in the sitting room, as Sean tentatively rolled up his sleeve and knelt opposite her. "Unless you'd rather streak around your stupid sports hall, once school's back in next term..." She added, smirking as Sean grit his teeth and leaned forward, their hands clapping together as they held their free hands behind their backs; exchanging a fierce and intent look of concentration as they wrestled for a reason Taylor neither knew nor wished to know.

 _"Wooooo!"_ Quinn giggled, dashing through the hallway like vibrant blur, scattering papers everywhere in her wake. Taylor blinked, peeking his head into the hallway cautiously, before heading out and quickly strolling down to the kitchen.

"What's gotten into everyone this morning..?" He asked curiously, as Raj hummed and cracked some eggs into a jug, beating them senseless as he muttered to himself and added various other ingredients.

"No idea, dude..." He replied distractedly, his eyes focused on his concoction as he dug out a spice rack Taylor hadn't even been aware he owned. "Quinn's been buzzing around since the early hours, think she's just hyped about life in general, man. Zahra though? She seems to be on a mission to prove something..."

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Rebecca drawled, pushing away from the table with an empty plate in her hand. "She lost her powers so, hardly surprisin' she wants to prove herself the strongest of us."

"Ya know, its like I should be creeped out by the mention of shit like that; but ya so damn casual about it, it ain't even botherin' me anymore." Jake complained, shaking his head as he took a long drag from a large mug of coffee.

Taylor shook his head, grabbing a couple of slices of bread and moving quietly toward the backdoor, heading outside and away from the madness. "Lucky for _you_ guys, there's food out here for you too..." He huffed, glancing at the border of the woods, where Tetra was happily snapping playfully at passing butterfly's and bumble bees. He set Fiddler on his shoulder and began to tear up the bread, crushing it into a close approximation of bird feed. "Hey, Mal!" He called as he entered the shed, ducking so he wouldn't be dive bombed by the crow. "Chow time!" He said, looking around expectantly as he piled his breadcrumbs onto the desk for his feathered friend. "... Where is that pesky bird?" He wondered to Fiddler, who purred and nuzzled his cheek, before running down his arm onto the desk and moved confidently toward the stash of cat food and bowl over the far side of the shed. Taylor snorted at the kittens behaviour, looking around the rafters again but failing to spot the crow.

He shrugged his shoulders, moving through the shed to feed Fiddler and Furball. He filled Furball's bowl with the special food Lila had given him and set it on the floor, and was just placing a full bowl of food before Fiddler, when Mal swooped in through the open window, and glided straight into his nest; another paper clenched in his beak. "Another letter, huh?" Taylor asked, raising a brow as he tried to peek up at it  "I wonder if this Goddard guy made it through okay..." He murmured, recoiling with a sudden gasp when he noticed that the latter half of the paper was drenched in blood so old, it had become the same texture as the parchment. "I... Guess _not."_ He said slowly, swallowing heavily as his heart clenched, quickening as he bit his lip and tried to peer at the letter. "Oh geez, is this... his _blood?"_ He wondered aloud, uncertain what he actually hoped the answer to be.

Mal cocked his head, and Taylor looked again at his breadcrumb birdseed, wondering id he could make a trade for the letter. He scooped up a handful of breadcrumbs and extended then in his palm toward Mal; who surprisingly, went for it without hesitation. _"Good_ Mal." Taylor cooed, unwittingly pleased with this step in his and his birds relationship. He plucked the latest letter from Mal's nest, and unfurled the installment of Goddard E. Filleus's adventures into the occult with rising trepidation, holding the page gingerly between two fingers. He took a deep breath, and tried to steady his hand, as he began to read aloud. _"Dear... Elizabeth?"_ Taylor blinked in surprise, his stomach suddenly turning hollow in dread, at the revelation of the recipients name. "Oh Goddard... This does not bode well for you, my... strangely, friend like person." Taylor sighed, shaking his head as he quickly continued. " _The time for pen names is done. I no longer fear your father's discovery, nor what the board might think of mt expedition. I am ensconced in force's greater than such petty tyrants could fathom, and beloved, I need your help_." Taylor shivered, grimacing at the confident and blasé commentary, as if the historian were merely commenting about the weather. "You _fool."_ Taylor whispered, shaking his head as he quickly forced himself to continue reading, eager to be rid of the page from his fingertips.

 _"On All Hallows' Eve, 'neath the light of the full moon, the Arcane Society of Westchester_..." Taylor rolled his eyes, snorting in disgust. "Better known as the _idiots_ who praised this stupid shadow monster..." He scoffed, shivering as he bit his lip and paused, almost expecting some sort of reprimand from the woods, before his tense shoulders eased slightly; remembering that Redfield was sealed away once again. "... _will gather in the woods to commune with the beast they call, Master. I know not the form of this eldritch bugaboo, but nonetheless, I intend to capture it; and see the words 'Douglas Redfield's Monster' on the front page of every paper in America_." Taylor lowered the paper slightly, stunned for a moment into speechlessness. He shook his head and frowned, narrowing his eyes at the bloodiest section of the page as he tried to make out the words. 

" _Round up the old gang and book passage to Oregon with all haste. We are finally going to show them, Elizabeth_." Taylor read aloud, squinting as he reluctantly moved the page slightly closer to his face. "... _finally going... together?"_ He guessed, shaking his head slowly. "... _again will..."_ Taylor finally gave up with a frustrated sigh, quickly pinning the page up with the others against the back of the worktable, the bloodied letter a stark difference from the other pages. "So... Filleus was Redfield all along." He said at last, exhaling heavily as he glanced again at the mans true name. " _Douglas Redfield_... He seemed like a decent enough guy, if stupid. I wonder if the forest entity made him... this way." He wondered aloud, folding his arms over his chest as he stared at the letters distractedly.

"Somehow, I'd hoped your story would have a happier ending..." Taylor said quietly, chaffing his arms as a chill passed over his skin, raising goosebumps along his arm. "Like, that you stopped being an idiot and decided to go home... But, I guess the uh, blood, says otherwise. Assuming... it's _yours."_ He mumbled, his eyes narrowing briefly as he seemed to stare almost straight through the letters. "I wonder if she waited for you... I'm guessing none of these ever reached her..." He hummed, jumping when Mal hopped down onto the table with a self important squawk, attempting to get to the rest of the breadcrumbs.  Taylor blinked, drawing in a deep breath as he took a step back, gazing at the cork board before him.

His eyes roved over the pages, skimming over the short, if not eventful time the scholar had spent in Westchester. "Man, its even _worse_ when you read it all together..." He sighed, shivering as he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "But, at least its over now... For the _both_ of us." He said firmly, turning away as his phone buzzed.

He frowned at the incoming message from Sean, peeking through the shed doorway towards the house, before looking down at his phone in bemusement. **Hey, what time are we all meeting up again?**

 **Sean, get the basketballs outta ya ears**..! Rebecca snarked back, as Taylor imagined her rolling her eyes and sighing. **Limo's stopping at tour place at seven!**

 **Before anyone says anything; I will be wearing a dress. And I don't want to hear it**. Zahra's messages chimed, and Taylor snickered as he slowly walked back up to the house.

 **I was on the fence about coming, but now**? Raj sent, two thumbs up emoji's appearing rapidly after each other. **So glad I didn't bail, doodlejumps.**

 ** _What_ did I just say**. Zahra's message pinged in Taylors inbox, and he was surprised as he walked back into the kitchen, to find his house seemingly empty for the first time in a week.

 **Awww, you guys, stop! This is gonna be so much fun!** Quinn insisted, and Taylor smiled at the infectious sense of happiness which seemed to radiate from her messages.

 **I'm just glad Taylors suspension wasn't extended to include homecoming**. Aleister commented, as Taylor rolled his eyes and a snorted, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and biting into it hungrily.

 **Oh my god, Taylor! Did you decide what ya wearin' yet?**! Rebecca demanded, as Taylor coughed suddenly and grimaced, swallowing his bite of apple despite suddenly having lost his appetite.

 **Not yet**... He admitted, smirking as he typed out a follow up message. **But it's gonna be fabulous.** He sent, snickering as he imagined his friends faces. **Trust me, all eyes are gonna be on me**! He added cockily, as he roamed through his house looking for everyone. "Why are we all playing text-a-thon when we could just talk?" He called, frowning when he received no answer. **Did you all bail on me without saying goodbye?** He demanded in a new message.

 **Hey, it's not our fault ya value ya evil pet crow more than our goodbyes**. Rebecca replied, tacking a winking emoji at the end of her message. **Besides which, I have shopping to do, Quinn has a date and Zahra**... Rebecca trailed off, and Taylor raised a brow expectantly as he stared at his phone.

 **I got stuff to break. I'm wearing a dress tonight. I need to get some rebellious shit outta my system**. Zahra sent, and Taylor snorted as he imagined her scowling at her phone at the admission.

 **Still; you're all rude. What's your excuse, Aleister**? He demanded, pouting at his phone as he ate his apple and leaned against his kitchen counter.

 **Excuse? I hardly require an excuse to leave your residence, Taylor**. Aleister drawled, as Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes. **However, it so happens I have to confer with my aunt about a pressing matter**. His pale friend added a moment later, as Taylor grinned and tossed his apple core into the bin.

 **I gotta find something to wear tonight**... Raj sent, as if predicting Taylors curiosity about his own whereabouts. **But I left you some stuff in the fridge if your hungry**! He added, as Taylor checked his fridge quickly and raised a brow at the various tubs and plates Raj had stored in there.

 **Wow, thanks dude! Maybe we can have a midnight feast after we get in tonight**? He sent, biting his lip in sudden hesitance **. I mean, if anyone's coming back here, 'cause I don't expect you to or anything**... He sent, though his comment was ignored.

 **I'm helping Momma move some boxes down from the attic, then I..**.  Sean trailed off, seeming reluctant to continue briefly **. I'm gonna drop by the hospital. Just, checking in**. He texted, as Taylors heart swelled in sympathy.

 **Say hi to Tom for me**... He sent back, sighing as he hoped his friend and the other victims of Redfield might soon wake up. **And say hi to Diego for me too, if you see him**... He sent, wishing he could go and see his best friend again, but unwilling to risk bumping into the Soto's again; especially on such a momentous day.

 **Thanks Taylor, I will**. Sean replied warmly, a smiling emoji attached to his message, before he sent an entirely new one, tactfully changing the subject back to the original topic. **Man, this is gonna be such a sick night...**

 **After all the crap the last few weeks**... Raj replied, seeming strangely wistful as Taylor huffed in amusement. **Can you guys believe we actually made it to homecoming**? He asked, as Taylor grinned and clutched his phone to his chest.

 _"Homecoming."_ He snickered, shaking his head as he trotted back upstairs and flopped back onto his bed, drawing in a deep breath of contentment as he stared at the ceiling. His lips curled into a devilish smirk, as he thought about his evening and what he hoped to achieve, his blood warming as it flooded to his cheeks. _Try to resist my masculine charms and wiles tonight_. He thought smugly, imagining Jake's expression when he launched his last ditch attempt to encourage the pilot to ravish him. He giggled, rolling himself into his duvet giddily, as he finally released his tight grip on the tentative happiness which had begun to blossom within him.

After finally exhausting himself of his exuberant, blissful emotions, Taylor sighed and dragged himself from his bed to spend the remainder of his day both taking it easy, and catching up on some of the chores he'd neglected in the week; at least, those which Jake hadn't commandeered and stealthily taken care of himself. As the afternoon just began to chill, Taylor finally stepped into the shower to begin getting ready for the evening, climbing out a half hour later, certain he was thoroughly clean. He glanced at the clock as he returned to his room, which told him he still had a few hours left until the dance started, allowing him to examine his clothing options. "Might still be a little early, but if I get dressed now then I'll have plenty of time to perfect my look." He muttered, sucking in a deep breath as he opened his closet. "This is my last homecoming dance ever so, I better be pull out all the stops... Not to mention, the better I look; the more chance I have to drive Jake nuts." He snickered, as he rifled through the hangers on the rail, humming thoughtfully as he paused between a golden ensemble and a classic black and grey suit.

 _"Back in black, I hit the sack_..." He hummed, plucking his choice from the rail and laying it out on his bed. " _I've been too long, I'm glad to be back_..." He snickered, smirking as he threw his towel aside with a dramatic flourish and began to dress himself. His shirt collar tucked around his neck just right, covering the marks on his skin without choking him, as he watched himself deftly button the shirt down his front. He grimaced at the single belt, but sighed in resignation, accepting that just occasionally; less was more.

Taylor hummed to himself as he dressed, eyeing each article of clothing critically and even debating at one point whether he needed to re-iron his trousers, before scoffing at himself and shaking his head, as he pulled on his jacket. "Now _this..._ is what style looks like." He drawled, as he finished tying his tie and clipped it to his shirt, closing his jacket button atop it and finally pinning a small bur vibrant red flower to his breast pocket. He was just about to stuff his phone into his pocket, when an incoming text message caused it to buzz.

 **Would you let me take ya to out to dinner, before ya big dance**? Jake text him, and Taylor bit his lip ay the rush of giddy warmth which curled through his gut at the pilots offer.

 **You really want to?** He couldn't help but reply, panicking briefly as he realised how ungrateful he might sound. **I mean... The fact you're even still going with me after everything already means a lot to me**... He quickly added into another message, picking at his jacket  nervously as he waited for Jake to reply.

 **I may not agree with how ya handled stuff**... The pilot text back as Taylor winced, recalling the first time he'd woken up after Sean had carried him home, to find Jake furious and waiting for him to regain consciousness. **But, this is a big night for ya... What kinda guy would I be, to ruin that**? The pilot added, soothing the uncertainty churning in Taylors gut, as he smiled at his phone almost shyly. **If I'm takin ya to this blasted thing, we're doin it the right way**.

 **Who could ask for a better offer than that?** Taylor sent back quickly, leaning against the wall and laughing fondly as he felt his cheeks flare with heat; pleased the pilot couldn't see him in such a sappy state.

 **So? Whaddaya say, Boy Scout**? Jake asked, as Taylor bit his lip to try and contain the huge grin which tried to consume his face. **Dinner... and a little alone time... before ya dance**? The pilot text, as Taylor wrinkled his nose in excitement at the thought of any alone time with the pilot, regardless of whether he got his own way or not.

 **I'm sold, Top Gun**. He text back, his lip growing sore as he continued to chew it, but unable to stop himself in his rush of joy. **Alone time with you sounds kinda like the perfect way to start the night.**

 **Glad to hear it, 'cause I already made the reservation**. Jake replied quickly, as Taylors grin finally escaped his teeth, spreading across his face as his heart soared with affection and amusement.

 **So you just assumed this would go your way, huh**? Taylor teased accusingly, wandering over to his dresser and opening the top drawer, pulling out the eight envelopes and storing them carefully into his inside pocket.

 **Had a feelin**. Jake shot back, and Taylor could practically see the smug grin on the pilots face. **Was a risk I was willin to take either way... Now get ya ass out here**. Taylor blinked in surprise, before his pulse quickened and he dashed to the bedroom window, grinning ecstatically when he saw Jake sitting in his car on the driveway.

 **What would you have done if I said no?** He text one handed, as he waved with the other briefly. He pulled back with an undignified and excited squeal, eternally grateful that nobody was around to hear him.

 **Torn on that. Either go for a beer or just drag ya there**. Jake replied, as Taylor snorted, pulling his shoes from the closet and stepping into them quickly, before hurrying down the stairs. 

"Be good! No eating each other!" He shouted to Fiddler and Furball, the pair glancing at him briefly as he hurtled out the door and hurried down the drive, jumping into the passenger seat as soon as the car door opened.

"Eager much?" Jake teased, stashing his phone in his pocket as he ran his eyes over Taylor. "Damn. Gonna be hard for me to concentrate with you lookin' like that... Ya kinda takin' my breath away here." He said, leaning forward and meeting Taylor halfway for a sweet, lingering kiss.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed quietly, drinking in the sight of Jake with his hair brushed back smartly, a waistcoat suit showing of his chiselled body in ways his jacket usually hid. "Feelings mutual." He admitted quietly, as Jake smirked and sat back into his seat, turning as he reversed and then quickly drove them into town.

"So... Where did you book?" Taylor asked curiously, turning to look out the window at the passing scenery, hiding his burning face from the pilot until he'd recovered slightly.

"Renoir's." Jake replied, chuckling when Taylor gasped and swung back to face him, his eyes wide in surprise.

"The fancy French place?" He choked, shaking his head as Jake flashed him a cocky grin and shot him a wink. "Wow, you were serious about doing this the right way..." He said, as butterflies began to dance in his stomach. Before they could settle however, Jake was parking outside a small restaurant, and leading him inside. Taylor looked around in awe, as Jake spoke to a passing waiter, who quickly disappeared to see if their table was ready. He ran his eyes over Jake again, a small smile forming as he stepped closer slightly.

"Look at _you..."_ He said quietly, as Jake raised a brow in amusement and curled an arm around his waist. "Dressed up like a straight up prince. Though, it looks like you traded the white steed and sword for a tie and car..." He teased fondly. 

Jake rolled his eyes, and leaned in to kiss Taylors cheek, grinning as he pulled away; leaving Taylor surrounded by the heady scent of his cologne. "Steeds back at ya little menagerie," he huffed, his gaze softening as Taylor snickered. "And the sword clashed with the outfit." He said, allowing a moment of heated silence to build between them as he slowly examined Taylors ensemble with more leisure now they were out of the car. "That really is... some suit." He said, clicking his tongue as he dragged his eyes over Taylors every contour.

"Do you like it..?" Taylor asked, suddenly self conscious beneath the pilots intense gaze, though the affectionate snort and roll of the pilots eyes soon settled his nerves again.

"Don't be an idiot, course I do. I'd like ya in a sack." Jake snickered, exaggerating a sigh as Taylor swatted his shoulder playfully. "Just had to one up me and make me look bad, didn't ya?" He said, feigning a pout.

"Oh well..." Taylor hummed, his heart racing as he playfully tiptoed his fingers up the pilots arm. "You could always take the suit _off._ Then I wouldn't be upstaging you anymore..." He said innocently, though his eyes danced with both playfulness and desire.

Jake held his gaze for an intense pause, smiling as he trailed his own fingers down Taylors arm and caught Taylors hand in his own. "Hmm..." He hummed thoughtfully, before he glanced away and cleared his throat, changing the subject as he looked back at Taylor again. "I uh, hope its okay I asked ya to eat here." He said, ducking his head almost shyly. "Friend of mine wanted to borrow the car, and as we're takin' the limo anyway..." He explained, shrugging his shoulder as he flashed Taylor an apologetic grin.

"No car, huh?" He asked, feigning a thoughtful expression. "But then, where will we go to make out? Or how will we get back to mine to-" he broke off laughing at Jake's shocked expression, unable to continue in light of his genuine surprise.

"Uh, I hadn't..." Jake stammered, his cheeks flushing pink beneath his stubble, as his brow furrowed. "Thought about that, actually..." He said, clearing his throat as he glanced away.

"... Jake McKenzie... You're a liar." Taylor snickered knowingly, grinning at Jake slyly. "You _have_ been thinking about it, haven't you? Is it since you found out I wasn't dressed this morning..? Did I finally win you round..? _Ooh,_ is that why you're loaning our your car? To resist _temptation?"_ He demanded in rapid fire questions, snickering again as Jake flushed a deeper shade of red.

 _"Ahem,_ havin' definitely _not_ thought about it at all..." Jake coughed, glancing around the area curiously. "I'm sure we'll figure it out and manage to find some minor make out spots somewhere..." He said, narrowing his eyes toward the bar. "Bastards late..." He muttered, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

Taylor bit his lip, his confidence growing at the sight of the pilot growing flustered, his hopes rising like his heart in his chest as he realised the pilot hadn't actually answered him. He smiled when Jake looked back at him with a grin and squeezed his hand gently. "Besides, my friend said they'd drop the car off at the school later, so I'll be able to drive ya home still." He assured, as Taylor ducked his head and looked at his shoes,his cheeks flushing as he unconsciously reached up to pat at the hidden pocket within his jacket.

Jake raised a brow, but before he could say anything about the gesture, a hostess appeared and lead them over to a cozy corner booth, where a bottle of whiskey and two champagne flutes awaited. "Hope ya don't mind..." Jake said, a lopsided grin on his face as Taylor laughed joyfully at the sight and shook his head in amusement. "I swung by to make the reservation after work, and asked the waitress to bring us a bottle of their finest... I can swap it for bubbly, or whatever ya-"

"I do _not_ mind at all... It's perfect." Taylor snickered, leaning forward to kiss Jake's cheek affectionately. Jake grinned and stepped aside, letting Taylor slide into the corner of the booth, before slipping in after him. "See, it's things like _that,_ that make me really like you."

"What?" Jake asked, smiling despite the small crease of confusion upon his brow. "Lettin' ya get in the booth first?" He asked, snorting in amusement as he shook his head. "Well, _you're_ gonna be easy to please on future dates..." He snickered, as Taylor nudged his arm playfully, allowing the pilot the opportunity to quickly wrap his arm around Taylors shoulders.

"Not _that."_ Taylor clarified, rolling his eyes with a huff of amusement, as he leaned into Jake's side. "I mean... how many guys would just let their friends borrow their car?" He asked, reaching up to gently return a portion of Jake's hair to its former position. "Especially when they know they're gonna have an insanely turned on date who was _very_ much hoping to use that car to privately thank them for a lovely dinner?" He added, grinning slyly as Jake choked on a mouthful of whiskey. His gaze softened as Jake turned to him with wide eyes, a fond smile curling his lips. "You're selfless."

"Me? Nah, no way." Jake coughed, patting his chest as he tried to recover his composure. "Just, helpin' out a friend. He needs a car, I have a car... Just makes sense, ya know?"

"See." Taylor insisted, shaking his head as he jabbed a finger gently into Jake's chest. "That's what I mean... A lot of people don't think like that." He said quietly.

Jake shifted in his seat, clearly torn between proud of Taylors praise and uncomfortable by it. _"Ahem,_ yeah well... Kinda startin' to regret it right about now, anyway." He admitted gruffly, his eyes meeting Taylors in a heated gaze.

Taylor looked up into Jake's intent gaze, biting his lip as his face fell slightly, guilt weighing on his heart; as he considered that their current situation might never have occurred, if he hadn't put things right between them. "Jake... I'm really sorry." He said, lowering his eyes as Jake frowned, his fingers toying with his jacket cuff. "About all that stuff before. I... I never wanted to lie to you, I just-"

"I know." Jake said softly, covering Taylors hand with his own and forcing him to cease his nervous movements. "And, I wish ya hadn't... But what's done is done." Jake sighed, his gaze turning distant as he traced his fingers over Taylors, gently lacing their hands together. "All we can do now; is move forward. And I..." Jake paused, drawing in a sharp breath as he seemed to debate for a moment, using their linked hands to urge Taylors chin to rise, forcing his dark blue eyes up to Jake's own cerulean gaze. "I'm willin' to give it a shot, if you are..?" He asked cautiously, a hopeful grin blossoming on his face as Taylors eyes widened.

"Really?" He asked, his heart soaring in his chest, as he broke out in a small, excited grin.

"Look, ya may not have told me the truth at first, Boy Scout..." Jake said, freeing his hand to pour them each a flute of whiskey. "But... Ya really owned up to it, and came clean. Plus," Jake grimaced, cocking his head as he reluctantly conceded slightly. "Ya had some _pretty_ convincin' reasons not to tell me."

"I'm really happy you get that I just was just trying to keep you out of it..." Taylor said quietly, leaning his head on Jake's shoulder and allowing his eyes to drift closed, radiating contentment as he relaxed for a moment. "To keep you safe..."

"Well, just so we're clear, in the future; _don't."_ Jake scoffed, his lips brushing Taylors hairline briefly before he chuckled and pulled away again. "I may not have experience with the whole 'supernatural forces' thing, but I can take care of meself and kick the metaphorical ass of anythin' I damn well wanna." He huffed, as Taylor giggled quietly.

"Okay... I trust you." He said, drawing back from Jake's shoulder to peer up at him affectionately. "But, let's just hope we don't have to deal with something like this again, huh?" He snickered, smiling as Jake leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his forehead, and then a lingering one to his lips. Taylor framed his face with his hands, keeping the pilots mouth on his own for a moment longer. "Hmm... so." He said, as they broke apart, biting his lip to contain his grin.

"So?" Jake asked lowly, his lips grazing along Taylors jaw briefly, before he drew back to raise a curious brow at him.

"We've got whiskey in champagne glasses." Taylor said, snickering at the surprise which flashed across Jake's expression. "I kinda feel like we should be making a toast, here."

"Heh," Jake huffed, regaining his cocky attitude as he smirked and freed his arm from Taylors shoulders, passing him one of the flutes as he picked up his own. "Sounds great... What're we toastin' to?"

Taylor drew in a deep breath, gazing at his glass for a long moment and examining the dark liquid within, contemplating the rising ride of emotions he felt in his heart. He smiled, turning to Jake as he extended his glass tentatively. "To us." He said quietly, his eyes meeting Jake's shyly.

Jake paused a moment, seeming to cut straight through Taylor with his clear eyes, before he broke out in a bright, crooked grin; stealing Taylors breath unintentionally. "To us." He agreed, clinking his glass to Taylors. Their eyes remained locked as they both sipped at their drinks, the air around them heavily charged with desire and contentment. 

They finally looked away from each other when the waitress returned, offering them menus and taking their orders as they began to chat about more light hearted topics, exciting themselves for the night ahead while purposely avoiding further eye contact; well aware of the feelings such a connection awoke within them. As they enjoyed their meal together, switching from whiskey to soft drinks so they wouldn't overindulge and spoil their night before it began, Taylor felt the pleasant tingle of contentment spread throughout himself; pleased to have had the chance to spend some time alone with Jake before his friends descended on them for the night.

"So," he said, sighing as he leaned back into the corner of the booth. "I just... I wanna thankyou now, incase I forget to later. Tonight has already been great, so... thankyou." He said, smiling warmly as Jake flashed him a cocky grin.

"Ya ain't tired just from the meal, are ya?" He asked, sniggering as Taylor swatted his shoulder playfully. "Ya look half ready to fall asleep there, Boy Scout." He teased, as Taylor rolled his eyes.

"That's hardly likely when you're around..." Taylor replied, smirking as his fingers lightly toyed with Jake's on the back of the booth. "But, if you're really that worried, you could always give me some incentive to stay awake." He added, winking at Jake as the pilot huffed at him in amusement.

"Yeah, and I bet I know just what kinda incentive ya after too..." He said lowly, stroking Taylors fingers gently and rolling his eyes knowingly. He shook his head as he peered at the table for a brief moment, before quickly glancing around the restaurant. His fingers ghosted over Taylors wrist, as he shifted closer and leaned forward to capture Taylors lips in a surprisingly soft kiss. "Ya a bad influence..." He murmured against his lips, causing Taylors pulse to quicken; blood pounding in his ears as the pilots free hand skimmed his knee.

"Jake..." Taylor breathed, chasing after the pilot when he moved to sit back again, his hands rising to frame his face and draw him into a deeper kiss. He kissed the pilot with unhurried passion, slowly pulling Jake closer to him and pressing himself against the pilot in return. "Jake... there's, mmmm..." He murmured, breaking free a short time later to begin trailing light kisses over the pilots stubbled cheek. "... there's something I should _probably_ tell yo- _hnngh!"_ He gasped, as Jake's hand slipped lightly over his thigh, moving higher to grip his hip tightly. 

"What is it, Boy Scout?" Jake wondered distractedly, utterly focused on Taylors throat as he eased his chin upwards slightly and pressed hot and hungry kisses along the sensitive skin.

Taylor shivered, his hand roaming along Jake's arm, gripping his wrist and squeezing gently, as he slowly dragged his hand higher up his thigh. "I _may..."_ He whispered urgently, tilting his head so he could brush his lips against Jake's ear. "... have forgotten to wear something." He said, biting his lip as Jake tensed suddenly, seeming to snap out of the blissful haze which had consumed him as he swallowed thickly and slowly drew back from Taylor to meet his gaze suspiciously.

 _"Forgotten?"_ He drawled slowly, glancing down as Taylor squeezed his wrist, his hand now resting at the top of Taylors thigh. He looked back up, his eyes clouding slightly as Taylor raised a brow and bit his lip, his heart thundering beneath Jake's chest.

"... I was in a rush..." Taylor defended innocently, shrugging faintly as Jake drew in a deep breath, his expression crumpling with guilt as he exhaled heavily and forced himself to sit back up.

"Taylor..." He groaned, shaking his head as Taylor looked down at his lap, biting his lip dejectedly as his excitement and hope wilted suddenly.

"... We should... probably find your friend." Taylor said quietly, swallowing quickly as he sat up and reached for his champagne flute of whiskey, as opposed to his soft drink. "Or, you could just... run me home to wait for the limo. Then come find him."

"Taylor-" Jake said quietly, reaching foe his cheek with a pained expression that Taylor didn't see, keeping his gaze firmly locked away from the pilot.

"Please." He said, coughing and clearing his throat as he lowered his now empty glass. Jake hesitated for a long moment, finally sliding out of the booth with a reluctant sigh and moving away to find his friend. Taylor quickly slipped free of the booth himself and left a generous tip on the table, before heading out to the car, leaning his back against the passenger door as he waited. _How to ruin a date in ten seconds or less; a factual tale by Taylor_... He thought, sighing heavily as he turned his face to the dark sky above him, frustrated with himself for pushing so hard and unable to separate himself from the irrational sting of rejection he felt.

"Hey, there ya are." Jake called, frowning as Taylor glanced over to see him exiting the restaurant, another man following a few steps behind him. "Ready to go then..?" He asked guardedly, watching Taylor carefully as he nodded and slid along the car to the back door. "What are ya-"

"I can veg out in the back while you drive this way, and you'll still have someone to talk to." Taylor explained quickly, flashing what he hoped seemed like a convincing smile, before disappearing into the backseat. He closed the door quickly, cutting off Jake's reply as he fastened his seatbelt and closed his eyes, turning his head toward the window as if tired.

A few moments later, both front doors opened and two bodies clambered inside, Jake immediately glancing in the mirror to check on Taylor; sighing quietly as he started the engine. _"Godammit..."_ Taylor thought he heard him mutter, though he did not attempt to check.

The return car ride was awkward, filled with an air of frustration and mounting tension as Taylor finally opened his eyes, watching the scenery pass by in a dark blur and pointedly ignoring the various glances he could feel Jake throwing his way in the rearview mirror. When the pilot pulled up to park, he slipped from the car with a brief murmur of thanks and walked up the path, leaving the front door open for Jake despite wishing he could simply hide away for the remainder of the evening. _Oh god_... He thought, his stomach churning with discomfort as he kicked his shoes off at the bottom of the stairs, before trotting up towards his room.

However, when he reached the top of the stairs, he found himself hesitating; turning not to his own room, but instead towards his parents long abandoned room. He swallowed thickly, frowning and not at all understanding where the intense urge to enter had come from, as his hand hovered over the handle.

 _"Taylor!"_ Jake called, the front door slamming closed, as the pilots frustration seemed to pervade throughout the house. "Where are ya, ya goddamn pain in the-" 

Taylor turned the handle slowly, Jake's voice fading to the background as he slowly opened the door and looked into the room he hadn't even stepped inside in more than a year, save to change the sheets, frowning in confusion at the strange force seeming to urge him to the room. _Maybe cocking things up so badly has made me nostalgic_. He thought, snorting quietly as he tentatively stepped inside and looking around the empty room with a growing sense of detachment.

The bed was still made, ready for his parents to return from a trip which they'd extended at the last moment. Taylor approached slowly, running his fingers over the sheets gently, before looking away to the dresser, where a photo of his parents on their wedding day still sat. "Huh..." He hummed in surprise, walking over to wipe away the dust over their faces, and frowning at them curiously. "... I don't actually remember their faces that well anymore, ya know?" He said quietly, his eyes still locked on the photo, as Jake silently stepped into the room. "Is that weird?" He asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"... I don't know." Jake said quietly, approaching slowly; as if cornering a wild animal. "I think maybe it's just a way of protectin' yaself... Makes it hurt less, if ya can't picture 'em." He said, stepping up beside Taylor and glancing at the photo.

"I _certainly_ don't remember them ever smiling like _that..."_ Taylor scoffed dismissively, shaking hua head as he gestured to the happy faces in the photo. "Hell, I didn't even remember they left this here." Taylor said, shivering as Jake gently laid a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face the pilot.

"Taylor..." He said, his free hand lifting Taylors chin and forcing him to meet Jake's concerned gaze. "What's goin' on in ya pretty little head..?" He asked, flicking Taylors forehead with his finger playfully, though neither of them took any comfort from the gesture.

"Urgh, don't ask me to look in _there."_ Taylor huffed, grimacing as he tried to make light of the situation and move away, only for Jake to firmly hold him in place. When the pilot refused to look away, patiently waiting in silence for a real answer, Taylor sighed and rubbed his eyes in frustration as he looked away. "I don't know, okay? I just... I-"

"Ya know there ain't any rush for this sorta thing, right?" Jake asked, frowning as his thumb made gentle circular motions against Taylors cheek, while his other hand slid down his arm and laced together with Taylors naturally. "Why're ya bein' so damn stubborn about it?" 

"I don't know!" Taylor groused petulantly, his hand squeezing Jake's unconsciously. "I don't know why I'm so fixated on it, okay? I don't know why the hell I came in _here_ tonight, or why I've been trying to jump you all week, or why the hell I thought going commando tonight was the answer..." He rambled in frustration, running his free hand through his hair.

"Not so much fun as ya thought, in hindsight huh?" Jake chuckled quietly as a soft, knowing smile spreading across his face.

"Was fine until I got-" Taylor scoffed as his cheeks flushed with warmth, clearing his throat abruptly as Jake's brow rose, his grin turning wolfish as he glanced downwards briefly. "Jake, I'm sorry..." Taylor sighed, shaking his head as he picked at Jake's waistcoat button gently. "It just... felt right. And for some reason, that's all I could focus on. It's so confusing, and honestly; I'm so embarrassed just now, that I kinda wish I could bury myself under a thousand blankets and hide there for the remainder of my-"

Jake pressed his mouth to Taylors, silencing as he kissed him unhurriedly, his hand caressing his cheek softly, before curving around the back of his neck to hold him close. "I ain't _ever_ known such an idiot as you before, Taylor." He murmured several languid minutes later, resting his forehead to Taylors as he grinned fondly. "And I've known a _lot_ of idiots." He snorted, his fingertips brushing lightly over the short hairs at the back of Taylors neck.

"Shut up..." Taylor muttered, his cheeks staining red as he reluctantly met the pilots amused gaze. "Stupid, Top Gun..." He groused, tugging absently at Jake's sleeve cuffs. Jake smirked, pressing his lips to Taylors again in a smoldering kiss which stole his breath and left him whining in frustration. _"Jaaaaake..."_ He complained, his back arching slightly as he fidgeted, growing uncomfortable in his suit as blood rushed south in his body and swelled his arousal. "C'mon, don't be so mean..."

 _"Am_ I?" Jake murmured, his stubble tickling Taylors cheek as he kissed his throat slowly, deliberately. Taylor shivered, biting his lip as he tipped his head aside, allowing the pilot more room despite his scolding. "Hmm... What about, if I did _this..?"_ He asked lowly, his free hand gliding down to slowly unbutton Taylors jacket.

Taylors heart lurched, his stomach fluttering like butterfly wings, as he clutched at Jake's arms. "I'd say you're either being insanely cruel or trying to tease me to death..." Taylor mumbled, his body flaring with heat as Jake smiled against his throat.

"Hmm..." He hummed, slowly dragging his lips over the exposed flesh of Taylors throat. "And, _now?"_ He asked quietly, stepping forward and forcing Taylor back a step, as his hand tugged his shirt free of his trousers and slid beneath the fabric, tracing the firm contours of his stomach and abs.

"That you're a major sadist who takes pleasure in torturing me..?" Taylor muttered vaguely, his every muscle tingling in hopeful anticipation as Jake finally surfaced from his throat, his clear eyes locking onto Taylors intensely, as his hands began to slip his tie free. "Jake, I-"

"Ya said it felt right." Jake said quietly, stepping forward again and forcing Taylor to take another back. "Has that changed..?" He asked, his hands pausing on the top button of Taylors shirt.

"No!" Taylor yelped, his hands quickly shooting up to grab Jake's, as if afraid he might remove them. "Definitely no! I mean, _definitely_ still feels right... Very right, _sooo_ right. The _rightest_ ev-"

"Taylor." Jake said quietly, smiling as he slid a finger beneath his chin. "Shut up." He huffed, before his lips found Taylors, eliciting an eager groan from him, as the pilots hands slid slowly over the length of his body, fingers gliding teasingly over his clothing as he made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt.

Taylor gripped Jake's waistcoat tightly, his head swimming from the heady sense of anticipation, as he held himself close to the pilot and allowed his mouth to willingly surrender to the other man. With his heart hammering in his chest, his fingers trembled as he slowly unbuttoned the pilots waistcoat, his breath catching as Jake brushed his shirt and jacket from his shoulders and allowed the garments to slide to the floor. "Ya so damn beautiful, it hurts, Taylor..." Jake drawled in a low whisper, his lips brushing Taylors shoulder briefly, before lightly skimming their way up to his ear. "Ya have _any_ idea how hard its been, sayin' no to ya..?"

"No, but I'm hoping to find out..." Taylor mumbled, his voice cracking as Jake smirked against the sensitive skin of his throat, causing him to shiver as the pilots fingers grazed his sides and slowly wrapped around his waist. "... Why did you then? Say no, I mean..." He asked distractedly, tugging Jake's shirt buttons through their holes and arching his neck to allow Jake better access to his throat.

Jake dragged his lips along Taylors jaw unhurriedly, slowly making his way back to Taylors lips and teasing him with an almost kiss. "... When ya got back, ya were a mess." He said quietly, his clear eyes flashing with concern briefly before his gaze softened again, turning affectionate once more. "And after everythin' ya'd been through, well, I didn't want ya rushin' into anythin' just 'cause ya were 'relief delirious'..." He explained lowly, his lips barely leaving Taylors skin as his fingers hooked into the belt loops of his trousers. He stepped forward, forcing Taylor to back up again, this time causing his knees to bump into the side of the bed. "But, if ya say its what feels right, then I sure as hell ain't gonna fight ya..."

"Jake, wai-" Taylor began, gasping when Jake reached past him and pulled the whole duvet over the side of the bed, revealing the still crisp sheet beneath. "I..."

"Taylor, look at me." Jake said insistently, his hands gliding over Taylors bare skin as he slid then higher to cup his face. "Say the word, we'll stop, we'll move; whatever ya want..." He whispered, as Taylor bit his lip for a moment, before surging forward to steal a passionate kiss from the pilot.

Jake kissed him deeply, as he eased Taylor back and lowered him to the bed. His hands ghosting over his torso, nails dragging lightly across his exposed nipple and causing him to gasp and arch beneath the pilot. Jake took full advantage of the motion, his teeth catching Taylors lower lip in a brief but electrifying nip, before he began to alternate light grazes of his teeth and soothing kisses across Taylors throat and chest. "Jake..." He gasped, his cheeks flooding with heat as he looked down to where Jake's hand finally palmed his clothed erection.

Jake's hot tongue swirled across his naval briefly, before the pilot flashed him a wink and a cocky grin, rising to his knees as he unbuckled Taylors belt and removed his trousers, tossing them aside to allow his hands to glide over Taylors thighs. "Damn, Boy Scout..." He breathed, his voice catching as Taylors cheeks stained red and he bit his lip, peeking up at Jake through his lashes. _"You_ are ridiculously hot." He said, leaning forward again to seal his mouth over Taylors in a hungry kiss which left Taylor breathless.

"Mmmm..." Taylor groaned, as Jake captured his lower lip, sucking it between his own and worrying it tentatively with his teeth. He squirmed beneath Jake, his body flaring with heat and desire as the pilot slowly dragged his fingertips up the onside of his thigh. "Ah..!" He gasped, his hips rising from the bed as Jake's hand settled over his hard cock and squeezed gently.

"Easy..." Jake murmured, his stubble grazing Taylors cheek as he moved his lips closer to his ear. " _I've got you."_ He assured, stroking Taylor slowly, as he panted gor breath and strained upwards against Jake.

"You're wearing _way_ too many clothes..." Taylor protested weakly, his gaze heavy with longing and  desire as Jake drew back and flashed him a bright grin. With an easy flourish, Jake peeled his shirt away, his brow rising as a wolfish smirk spread across his face; when Taylors fingers curled into his waistband and undid the fastenings.

 _"Someone's_ gettin' confident..." Jake drawled teasingly, drawing in a deep breath as his head tipped back for a moment, his hips rolling forward lazily as Taylors hands slid his trousers and boxers lower. "Hmm..." He hummed contently, allowing Taylor a moment to explore his newly exposed hard flesh with curious, gentle fingers.

"Jake..." He murmured, as he shifted and sat up, his lips connecting softly with Jake's hip as his heart raced with nervous excitement, looking up when the pilots hand threaded into his hair. Cerulean eyes met ultramarine, the air seeming to fizz with static as they both paused to catch their breath, until as one they moved. 

Jake shifted backward slightly, as Taylor reached for him, the pair meeting in an exuberant kiss which never faltered even as they fell back to the bed heavily. _"Mmm!"_ Taylor moaned, his hands clutching at Jake's sides, his back and finally his shoulders, ever restless and eager to explore every contour.

Jake growled hungrily, slipping free of his trousers awkwardly, until he was finally able to plaster himself fully against Taylor, groaning when Taylors jaw fell slack briefly; gasping at the sensation of skin against skin for the first time. Jakes lips never paused, moving across Taylors jaw to litter his cheek, throat and shoulder with fluttering kisses, as his hands caressed Taylors body everywhere he could reach. 

Taylor hissed and threw his head back against the pillows, arching beneath the pilot as Jake rocked his hips experimentally, smirking against the side of his throat at the reaction. "Hmm..." He hummed, his teeth grazing the junction of Taylors shoulder and neck. "Good?" He murmured, chuckling quietly when Taylor merely gripped his shoulders tightly and nodded silently but eagerly. Jake slid his hand between them, a quiet groan escaping his lips as Taylor dug his fingernails into his shoulders and pulled him closer, his legs parting slightly wider around his hips. "Taylor..." He sighed, his breath hot against the side of Taylors throat, as his hand curled around them both and stroked slowly.

"Jake!" Taylor cried, his cheeks turning a dark shade of red as Jake pulled back to watch him writhe in pleasure beneath him. He gazed up at the pilot pleadingly, his hips rocking upward as he thrust cautiously into the pilots hand. "... _Oh..."_ He gasped, his eyelids fluttering as pleasure swept through him, his heart pounding as his cock pulsed eagerly against Jake's.

Jake's gaze clouded with desire, his hand gliding over their cocks with a final squeeze, before it slid lower. "Ya sure 'bout this..?" He asked gruffly, his voice thickly laced with longing. "If ya wanna sto-"

"Jake, please..." Taylor murmured, his hand curling around the back of Jake's neck and drawing him closer. "... don't _ever_ stop." He pleaded, his shoulders rising from the bed as he surged up to connect his lips to Jake's for a deep and passionate kiss.

Jake groaned, his fingers splaying between the cleft of Taylors ass, as he teasingly circled his entrance. _"Please..."_ Taylor whispered, feathering kisses along Jake's jaw until he could press his cheek against the pilots, holding him close as he bit his shoulder tentatively.

"Taylor..." Jake choked in surprise, his middle finger pushing past the tight ring of muscle as Taylor gasped and rocked his hips upward experimentally. He carefully teased at the sensitive flesh, his lips never leaving Taylors rapidly heating flesh, before finally pressing his another finger alongside the first. "... _Harder."_ He growled, tilting his head aside to allow Taylor more room, dropping his shoulder lower as Taylor obeyed and bit him again.

"Hmmm..." Taylor panted thickly, his teeth latched into Jake's shoulder as the pilot rocked slowly against him, littlering his throat with whiskery kisses as his fingers moved urgently within him. _"Aahhh!"_ He gasped, tensing suddenly as a wave of euphoric bliss rocketed through his spine, his stomach seeming to flip with the intensity of the pleasure which swept through him. "Oh god..." He muttered, his hand rising to tug at his hair as Jake chuckled and raised his head to smirk at him.

"Heh, good?" He asked, panting quietly as Taylor nodded and squirmed beneath him, his body glistening with a thin layer of sweat. "... _Good."_ He purred, leaning forward to capture Taylors mouth with his own, his tongue sweeping lazily across the seam of his lips and encouraging them to part for him.

"Jake... _Jake!_ I-" Taylor babbled against his lips, whining as his body coiled in on itself tightly, not ready for the experience to end. "... _Please."_ He begged quietly, his brow furrowed with yearning, gazing up at the pilot with near desperate urgency.

Jake's expression rippled with uncertainty briefly, his fingers crooking within Taylor and causing him to release a ragged breath, which finally pushed the pilot clear of his hesitation. "... Aw, _hell..."_ He muttered, his fingers withdrawing from Taylor as he caged his body against the mattress with his own, kissing him deeply as he pressed him back into the pillows. "Taylor-" he began, drawing in a sharp breath as his cock nudged at Taylors entrance, causing him to whimper and dig his fingernails into Jake's shoulders.

He groaned as he rocked his hips against Taylors, his cock pressing insistently to his ass as Taylor bit his lip and mumbled a near incoherent litany of pleas. Jake dropped his forehead to Taylors, their eyes locking as he slid a hand beneath Taylors thigh, hitching his leg tightly around his hip as he tensed; pressing forward slowly. "Oh... _god..."_ Taylor muttered, his jaw falling slack as he stared up at Jake unconcealed in awe, his deep blue eyes consumed by desire, blissful affection and something which Jake was hesitant to even begin to name; something which he felt run deep within his own veins, as he carefully eased himself into his lover.

"Taylor..." He breathed, as Taylor bit his lip and made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, his eyes becoming hazy at the mixture of pleasure and pain Jake assumed he was feeling. "I got ya, Boy Scout..." He murmured quietly, his lips brushing against Taylors temple as he huffed a quiet laugh of surprise, causing Jake to groan at the way his body clenched around his cock.

"Don't stop..?" Taylor panted hopefully, his sweat slicked chest heaving against Jake's as he slid his hands over the pilots shoulders to tangle in his hair, drawing him down into a light and teasing flurry of eager kisses.

Jake's chest rumbled with a laugh, rocking himself cautiously against Taylor and drawing a delightfully breathy gasp from him. "Yes, _sir..."_ He muttered, setting himself to a slow and tentatively motion of movement, his breath catching at the blissful expressions which blended themselves across Taylors face, fascinated by his every slightest reaction. _"Ohhh..._ Taylor-" he sighed, shivering as Taylor scraped his nails down his arm, his hips unintentionally snapping forward quickly and surprising a deep groan from Taylor; his toes curling as he clutched his leg tightly around Jake's hip.

"Mmmm..!" Taylor cried, gasping as he arched against Jake, his hips beginning to roll upwards from the bed in an attempt to match the pilots movements. "Yuh-" He gasped, showering Jake's face with light kisses, before his fingernails scraped over the nape of his neck; drawing him closer so he could bite his shoulder.

Jake growled, his speed increasing slightly as Taylor arched beneath him, allowing him to smother the side of his throat with lingering, hungry kisses; as his hips rocked relentlessly, driving them both deeper into their own hazy sense of blissful passion and intensely boiled pleasure, the world outside falling away around them. _"Jake..."_ Taylor gasped, his lips moving fervently over the pilots shoulder. "I... I need..."

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, his hand caressing Taylors hot and sweaty skin as it drifted between them, curling around Taylors cock as Jake surfaced from his throat to kiss him softly. "... I got ya." He whispered tensely, as Taylor cried out, his fingers clutching almost painfully hard at Jake's shoulders.

Taylor gasped, quickly following the sound with a groan, uncertain just what sound he wanted to make as Jake overwhelmed his body with pleasure; driving him to an intense crescendo of sensation, which caused his cock to pulse and twitch eagerly. "Oh _god,_ don't stop..." He cried, writhing beneath Jake as the pilot groaned, his hips thrusting erratically despite the way he grit his teeth determinedly. "Don't stop... _please!_ Don't _st-ah!"_ Taylor gasped as the tight, quivering coil of pleasure in his gut finally snapped; his body tensing as his orgasm coursed through him with the ferocity of a forest fire.

"Taylo-" Jake choked, watching in awe and fascination as Taylor came utterly undone beneath him; his body stilling over him with a barely contained, gasping groan.

Taylor flexed his fingers against Jake's shoulders, biting his lip as he peeked up at the pilot almost shyly, his body still tingling with the aftereffects of his orgasm as he leaned forward to gently kiss beneath Jake's jaw. _"Hmm..."_ He hummed contently, a giddy grin spreading across his face as his heart lightened, his entire body seeming to burn with affection and happiness.

 _"Hmm..."_ Jake agreed quietly, dipping his chin to capture Taylors lips and kiss him with unhurried, lazy contentment. "Guess ya feelin' pretty damn pleased with yaself now?" He murmured, smirking as he drew away several peaceful moments later and grazing his knuckles softly across Taylors cheek.

"Honestly, I'm feeling way less cocky than I was a little while ago..." Taylor replied, laughing quietly when Jake huffed and rolled his eyes. "And to think, if I'd just told you how I was actually feeling, I could have had this all week..." He sighed, running his hands along Jake's arms as the pilot shifted carefully and rolled to the side.

"Heh, guess we both learned to do a little more talkin'..." Jake said, his hand finding Taylors and lacing their fingers together. "I mean, I'm kinda feelin' like I've been missin' out too." He snorted, as Taylor grinned and rolled into his side to face him. "... live up to ya expectations?" He asked, his clear eyes flashing with uncertainty for a moment.

Taylors grin grew, and he snickered as he shuffled closer to the pilot, nuzzling into his warm embrace. "More than." He assured, smiling when Jake broke out in a cocky grin. He glanced away, his cheeks staining with a smug flush of colour as he peeked at their scattered clothes. "So, uh, not that I... well, ever, want this moment to end..." He said, looking up as Jake cupped his cheek. "But uh, how long do we have 'til the limo turns up..?" He wondered, sighing as Jake chuckled and curled an arm around his shoulders.

"It's about... six." He replied, groaning as he leaned over Taylor to find and glance at his phone, before settling back on the bed beside him with a sigh. "So we got a little over an hour, 'til ya rag tag buncha crazy friends descend on us..."

"A whole hour..?" Taylor hummed, his fingers gliding over Jake's chest teasingly. "Hmm, there's a lot we could do in an hour..." He said leadingly, as Jake huffed a surprised laugh.

"Yeah, like _shower."_ He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he sat up and swatted Taylors ass with a playful smirk. Taylor yelped as Jake sniggered, leaning down to kiss him briefly; only for Taylor to wrap his arms around his neck and pull him into a deeper kiss. "Ya a damn pretty distraction, Boy Scout..." Jake murmured gruffly, his lips grazing across Taylors jaw fondly. 

"... But we should really get ready? Again..." Taylor guessed, pouting as he twisted and arched himself against the pilot.

Jake hummed thoughtfully as he trailed his fingers over Taylors shoulder, before grinning and pulling him closer. "... Five more minutes." He said, ignoring Taylors pleased giggles as he sank into another deep kiss.

An hour and thirteen minutes later, the limo; filled with Taylors friends, pulled up outside. "Looks like ya whole gangs here." Jake commented, peering through the window and waving at the motley group hanging out of various windows. "Ya ready to go..?" He asked, curling an arm around Taylors waist and nuzzling his hairline briefly. 

 _"Pfft,_ I was born ready." Taylor scoffed, smirking up at Jake and nudging him towards the door. "After you, sweet cheeks." He snickered, swatting Jake on his ass.

"Hey, easy on the goods." Jake teased, smirking as he threw a wink over his shoulder and led the way down the drive.

Taylor laughed, patting his pocket again before closing his door, and practically running down the drive as Jake clambered into the limo. He ducked in after the pilot, squeezing himself into a spot on the wraparound couch. _"Whoa..._ This is insanely fancy."

"Meh, its okay." Rebecca sniffed, waving a hand dismissively. Taylor turned towards her, and was immediately blinded by a bright flash if light, as she took a photo of the group on her phone. She checked the result, smirked, and then tucked gee phone into her purse.

"Hey!" Taylor protested, rubbing his eyes and trying to clear the flare burn from his vision. "I can't tell which is shinier, the camera flash or your dress!" He snorted, shaking his head as he eyed Rebecca's sparkling gown.

"This is fancy?" Quinn giggled, smiling brightly as she interrupted them and looked him over. "Look at your suit!" She gasped, as Jake slid an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into his side with a smirk. "You look like a million bucks!"

"Quinn's right, dude..." Raj admitted, shaking his head as he looked Taylor over. "I dunno about a million, but definitely somewhere in the high hundreds of thousands for sure!"

"Aw, thanks guys!" Taylor huffed, ducking his head to hide the rising flush in his cheeks. "... You're gonna make me cry before we get our pictures taken!"

"Ugh, no thank you!" Rebecca scolded, glaring as she jabbed an accusing finger at him. "Photos could end up in the _yearbook!_ Plus, _you_ gotta make my brother look good!" She demanded firmly, her eyes narrowing as she watched them exchange a brief grin.

"Dudes, check this out!" Sean called,beaming as he rolled the slylight open and stuck his head out of it. _"Awoooo!"_ He howled loudly, laughing as he collapsed back into his seat again. "Man, you guys have gotta try this."

Sean tugged at Raj's jacket and pushed him up to the skylight. Raj grinned sheepishly, before his head disappeared through the roof too. Taylor smiled, his heart swelling with contentment as he looked around his friends. "Hey guys," he said, sighing happily. "I'm really glad we're all together..."

"Stop." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest to try and hide the lacey bustier of her dress. "You're gonna make me cry." She snarked, grimacing in irritation.

"Aw, don't be such a grouch." Quinn scolded lightly, smiling shyly as she smoothed down her glittering deep blue gown. "Taylors right." She said quietly, peeking up at them all as she tucked a loose strand of hair back into her elaborately clipped updo. "I... I _missed_ you guys."

"We must commemorate this moment. All of us attending homecoming together." Aleister insisted, chuckling fondly as a small smile curved his lips. "Who would have predicted..?"

"I'd be happy to take a picture of y'all... If ya all squeeze in on that side." Jake offered, pulling out his phone and gesturing to the far side of the limo.

Zahra hissed, scowling at Jake irritably. "I haven't taken a picture in twelve years... and I'm pretty sure I don't show up on film, anyway." She sneered, as Taylor rolled his eyes and grinned at them all.

"Zahra, get over here." He snorted, diving over to the other side of the limo and squashing her between himself and Sean, throwing an arm around her shoulders to pin her in place. "Taylor rules!" He cried, laughing as the others squashed in around them.

Jake smirked as a flash went off, everyone bursting into commotion and reaching out to try and catch a glimpse of the photo. "Oh, we gotta show this to Diego when we goto the hospital tomorrow!" Quinn gasped, her bright smile faltering slightly in shy realisation. "I-I know he won't _see_ it, but..."

"I think he'd still like that, dudette." Raj said, draping his arm loosely around her shoulder, as Jake tossed his phone to his sister.

"Here, make yaself useful, brat." He snickered, grinning as Taylor nestled himself back into his side. "Take a picture of just the two of us..."

"Seems only fair," he hummed, as Rebecca rolled her eyes and Zahra feigned gagging noises. "Since you missed out on the group photo."

"Nah, I wouldn't wanna intrude on that." Jake said quietly, sliding his arm around Taylors waist and smirking as he squeezed his ass discreetly. "That's just for you guys. And _this_ one will be for _me."_ He said smugly, as Taylor blushed and bit his lip.

 _"Ahem,_ and me!" He huffed, jabbing Jake's shoulder playfully. "You have to send it to me after, deal?" He demanded, pouting as he toyed with Jake's tie briefly.

Jake smirked, leaning in to brush his nose against Taylors briefly. "Deal." He said, as Taylor hummed in satisfaction and leaned his head on the pilots shoulder, grinning at Rebecca for the photo.

"Urgh, ya both disgustin'." She complained, shaking her head as she snapped the picture. The flash went off suddenly, leaving Taylor temporarily blinded.

"Please tell me I look okay!" He demanded, suddenly nervous about his appearance. "I feel like I might look awful..."

"Oh _please."_ Rebecca scoffed, rolling her eyes as she tossed the phone back to Jake, smirking when she hit him in the head.

"What she means, is that'd never happen." Jake said, scowling at his sister as he picked up his phone. He turned to Taylor, breaking out in a smile, as he kissed his forehead. "You look gorgeous. _Always."_

Taylor smiled, drawing in a deep breath of contentment as he relaxed into his seat, looking around his friends as they chatted happily. "Oh!" He said suddenly, sitting up and pulling the envelopes from his inner pocket with a flourish. "Everyone, I got you something for homecoming. One each; but no looking until _after_ the dance!" He said, scanning names and quickly handing them out. "Hey, you heard me! Put 'em away! Right now!" He ordered, watching them all examine their envelopes curiously, before finally stowing them away in jacket pockets, or in their purses; or in Zahra's case, down the bust of her dress.

Taylor narrowed his eyes suspiciously, before turning towards Jake, tugging his waistcoat forward as the pilot raised a curious brow. "Why do I suddenly feel like I just did somethin' sordid?" He murmured, watcing in amusement as Taylor slipped an envelope into his inner pocket. Taylor grinned, winking coyly at Jake as leaned back into the pilots side, hiding his reddening face in Jake's shoulder as he relaxed into the pilots embrace and enjoyed the rest of the ride to the school.

After climbing out of the limo, Taylor and his friends made their way over to the schools gym and stepped inside. "Oh. My..." Sean muttered, his eyes wide as he stared across the room at the buffet table. "They have one of those chocolate fountains that you dip stuff in!"

Jake grimaced, glancing around distrustfully. "I ain't sure I'd wanna eat anythin' in this gym, after what happened the last time I was here..." He said, shuddering at the memory and unconsciously tugging Taylor to his side.

"Rest assured, a thorough inspection was conducted..." Aleister explained, looking around the gym with a critical brow raised. "Exterminators were called, and I personally _guarantee_ that not a single spider remains on the entire school premises." He said, smoothing his waistcoat over his shirt, and straightening his crisp white cuff.

"This place looks _amazin'!"_ Rebecca cheered, looking around the brightly lit tables and ceiling in awe. "Gotta give my props to the dance committee..."

"Chair of, at your service." Aleister drawled smugly, a smirk blossoming on his lips. "And gracefully accepting your 'props'." He added, chuckling quietly when Rebecca wrinkled her nose and swatted his shoulder.

Taylor smiled as he looked around his friends, his heart flooded by warm affection, utterly grateful for his good luck, to have such amazing people in his life again.

"Quinn!" He turned at the sound of Michelle's voice, eyeing her dark and sparkling dress briefly, before looking back at Quinn and carefully watching her reaction. "Over here!"

"Um, there's Michelle..." Quinn said, biting her lip as she smiled around them with a blush. "I'll meet back up with you guys on the dance floor!" She said, walking over to Michelle and meeting the blonde with a light kiss. Taylor worried his lip as he watched them head over to the snack table, concerned about his friend despite the fact she seemed happier with her date than the last time he'd seen them together.

"Hey, Boy Scout..." Jake muttered beside him, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Stop worryin'." He said, his free hand rising to smooth away the crease in Taylors brow. "Whaddaya wanna do first?"

Taylor forced himself to return his focus to his group, smiling as best he could with the lingering concern nibbling at his gut. "I don't even know where to start..." He said, sloly turning a circle to marvel at how different the gym looked, and yelping in surprise when he found himself face to face with their illustrious town Mayor. "Ah! Oh! Uh, hi... Ms... Mayor McKenzie."

Rebecca folded her arms over her chest, arching a brow at her mother, as Jake stepped up beside her with a more relaxed, though still guarded expression. "Hey, Mom."

"Jacob." Jake's mother replied, smiling at her son warmly as Jake sighed and rolled his eyes, grabbing Taylors hand and squeezing it warningly when he noticed his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Rebecca." The Mayor continued, her voice turning cold and her smile disappearing faster than lightning struck, as she turned to her daughter.

" _Mayor McKenzie_." Rebecca snarked, feigning a sarcastic curtsy as she glared at her mother. Jake settled his hand behind her back, gently reassuring his sister of his presence and silently offering her comfort.

"I _really_ don't appreciate the attitude, Rebecca." Their mother said firmly, her eyes glittering with fury as Taylor felt his hands curl into balls at his side. "Do we need to have another talk about respecting this family?" She demanded icily, as Taylor stiffened in rising outrage.

"Sure." Rebecca conceded, painting an innocent smile on her lips which did not reach her eyes. "But, maybe it should come from someone who has experience on the subject... Like _Jake."_ She said, flashing her brother a bright smile, as he ducked his head to hide his laughter beneath an unconvincing cough.

"Rebecca-" the Mayor began hotly, her cheeks turning red as she rapidly lost her grip on her rising temper.

"C'mon, Mom." Jake sighed, shaking his head as he looked at her in sad disapproval, while Taylor scowled at her furiously. "Not tonight, okay? It's her night... _Their_ night."

"Becca did _nothing_ wrong!" Taylor hissed suddenly, startling the entire group with his venomous tone.

 _"Excuse_ me?!" The Mayor demanded, her surprised expression morphing into a scowl, as she looked him over with a dismissive sneer. "I was _talking_ to my _daughter._ Just because she's been hidin' out at _your_ house so she doesn't have to face up to what she's done, does not give you the right to interfere in our affai-"

"Don't speak to him like that." Jake growled warningly, scowling at his mother as he covered Taylors hand with his own and stepped in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something further, but Taylor quickly shook himself free of the pilot and sidestepped around him, glaring at the Mayor furiously.

"She only told the truth!" He hussed in the Mayors face, his eyes clouded by rage. "Maybe you don't wanna face that, but you _don't_ get to take it out on her either. Maybe if you could remember that you're her _mother_ first, and Mayor _second,_ she wouldn't have felt the need to hide from you!"

"Taylor-" Rebecca murmured, her eyes wide in surprise as he glared determinedly at her startled mother, standing his ground as Jake reached forward and squeezed his tightly clenched fist.

"How dare you-" the Mayor began, her eyes narrowing at Taylor as her shock began to clear and temper returned.

Taylor snorted in disgust, making a point of looking over her shoulder as he pointed. "Oh look! _Fornication..._ That should be right up your alley." He said snidely, smirking as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "That couple are definitely _not_ respecting the foot apart rule..." He added leadingly, raising a brow as he shook his head.

Despite their argument, the Mayor whirled around, and Taylor took the opportunity to usher Rebecca and the rest of his friends away with Jake's help. Once they were a sage distance away, on the opposite side of the dance floor, Taylor huffed and irritated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He yelped in surprise however, when Rebecca suddenly flung her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thanks, Taylor..." She sniffed, hiding her face in his shoulder as she discreetly dabbed at her eyes with her hand. "That was..." She trailed off, turning as Jake touched her elbow gently. He drew her into a hug of his own, before releasing her to embrace Taylor instead.

"Hot. That's what it was." He huffed, rubbing Taylors back slowly and finally helping him to relax. "Really, weirdly, and even uncomfortably; hot." He said, drawing back to kiss Taylor lightly.

"Me yelling at your mom is what does it for you, huh?" Taylor snockered, grinning goofily when Jake's cheeks dusted pink beneath his stubble. "Seriously, it was nothing." He said dismissively, smiling around his friends fondly. "I'm not about to let a little thing like 'wrath of the Mayor' threaten our senior homecoming! Or... one of my best friends." He said, winking at Rebecca as she laughed quietly. "Now come on! Lets get to the dancing!" He ordered, grinning as he made to move deeper into the shimmying bodies around them, but was held back by Jake catching his arm. 

When Taylor turned toward him though, the pilot just smiled affectionately. "Ya... really somethin' else, ain't ya?" He said thoughtfully, as Taylor tugged him closer and looped his arms about Jake's neck.

"Hmm, so I've been told." He hummed, unable to keep the pleased smile from his face as Jake's hands wound around his hips. "... I couldn't just stand there and let her treat Becca like that." He admitted, biting his lip as Jake leaned in a pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"C'mon then, Boy Scout." The pilot snorted, jerking his chin to where the rest of their group had begun to dance in the middle of the dance floor. "Let's see ya bust a move." He said, smirking as Taylor laughed and released him, tugging him by the hand to where his friends were all letting loose.

A short time later, Quinn and Michelle joined them, though the blonde made a point of ignoring their group. _"Woooo!"_ Quinn cried, oblivious to Michelle's hostility, as she beamed around her friends and danced with them all happily.

"Who wants to see me do the worm?" Sean asked, smirking confidently as they created a small space for him in the centre of their group.

"I'd like to see ya try, Gayle." Rebecca laughed, tipping her chin toward her brother in confirmation when he held up a crumbled note with a grin. "Ya on." She snorted, bumping his shoulder with her fist.

"What about the one you always used to perform when we were younger?" Aleister asked curiously, his brow furrowing slightly as he swayed in natural rhythm to the beat of the music around them. "The one which looked like a dying sea-lion that was robotically challenged..?" He enquired, putting one arm behind his head as he moved the other in a jerking, slicing motion before him.

"Oh... my god." Taylor gasped, laughing hard enough that he had to grip Jake's arm to keep himself upright. "I cannot believe I just witnessed Aleister doing something so ridiculous... _Ohhh,_ I am _so_ disappointed I didn't get to record that..." He sighed hoarsely, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Nah man, it was more like _this!"_ Sean said, ignoring Taylors minor breakdown as he began to copy Aleister's movements, but exaggerating them even further; until the several others of their group of friends had joined in, all gleefully doing 'the sprinkler' together.

"You're all so deeply uncool." Zahra drawled, rolling her eyes as she tried to take a step away from them all, only for Rebecca and Quinn to box her between them.

"And you _totally_ love us." Rebecca teased, sticking her tongue out as Zahra scowled at her and raising her arms over her head.

"Buncha amateurs..." Jake sighed forlornly, though he smirked around them all. "Ya wanna see my greatest hidden skill?"

"Pretty sure I already saw that, Top Gun..." Taylor snickered, waggling his brows unrepentedly when Jake looked at him sharply with a smoldering gaze which made him bite his lip. His jaw dropped however, as Jake spun with a cocky smirk and performed a smooth moonwalk across the dance floor. "Oh my... You have _got_ to teach me that!" He choked, accusingly as Jake walked back to him with a smug grin.

"Oh, and what's in that for me?" Jake asked, curling an arm around Taylors waist as he raised a brow expectantly.

"My undying gratitude and eternal, joyful thanks?" Taylor quipped, snickering as Jake pretended to think about it. "What about if I sweeten the deal?" He asked, leaning forward to whisper in Jake's ear. A moment later Jake coughed and choked loudly, his eyes widening and cheeks flushing a deep red as Taylor pulled back with a proud smirk. "The gruff, no nonsense Jake McKenzie; blushing and speechless?"

Jake shook his head, regaining his composure and cocky attitude as his surprise faded. "I'm gonna hold ya to that promise, Boy Scout." Was all he said in reply, ignoring Taylors smug giggling as they continued to dance energetically over the next few upbeat songs. Slowly though, the music subtly transitioned into a slow song, and Taylor jumped as Quinn appeared at his shoulder.

"Have you seen Michelle?" She asked, frowning worriedly as her eyes scanned the gym for her date. "She said she had to set up for the King and Queen announcements, but she's been gone _forever!"_

"Sorry, Quinn, I haven't seen her..." Taylor said, his heart twisting sadly for his friend. "Want me to help you look?" He asked, though Quinn was already shaking her head dejectedly.

"I thought I saw her slither out those doors over there, out into the hallway." Zahra said, gesturing to the doors on the opposite side of the hall. Quinn brightened slightly, as she turned towards the doors and moved toward them.

"Thanks..." She said distractedly, flashing then an unconvincing smile. "I'll be right back, guys." She said, weaving her way off the dance floor quickly.

Taylor hesitated, biting his lip as he watched her go, until Jake finally sighed and swatted him on the ass; pushing him after the redhead. "Just go already, ya no use whatsoever, all distracted like that." The pilot snorted, throwing him a two finger salute, before moving to dance with his sister for awhile.

Taylor grinned, before hurrying after Quinn. He caught sight of her slipping through the doors, and quickly darted across the gym, rushing to follow her and be ready to offer his support if she should need it. He stepped put into the hallway, the sounds of the dance fading as the door clicked shut behind him. "Meech?" He turned upon hearing Quinn's voice in the startling quiet, starting down the hall after her and suddenly noticing other voices in the hall, as he trailed behind the redhead.

"... Your idea." Estela's voice said dismissively, and Taylor paused as he recalled the last time he'd seen the scarred girl. "If you want to back out now, fine; just don't come crawling to me later."

"Thanks so much for your approval to do whatever the hell I want." Michelle replied, and Taylor paused as Quinn hung back by the corner of the hall, clearly hesitant to get closer. 

"Never thought I'd see you turn sappy." Estela snorted, sounding genuinely amused by whatever situation she was amid with Michelle. "What is it, exactly? Just can't bear to make your little girlfriend sad, suddenly?"

"She's _not_ my girlfriend." Michelle growled, and Taylors heart lurched, as hw noticed Quinn's shoulders tense suddenly. "But... I..." Taylor silently stepped closer, as Quinn finally stepped around the corner. 

"Michelle..?" She called, her voice wavering in uncertainty, despite the brave lock of her shoulders and feet; firmly keeping her in place. "We're... _not_ together?" She asked confusedly, disappearing from sight as she moved hesitantly down the hall.

Taylor hurried to follow her, hugging the wall as he peeked around the corner after her, to find Michelle and Estela standing guiltily in a storage closet. "Huh, looks like the little dying girl genuinely believed in you, 'Shell. _Crowning_ achievement, right there."

"Estela!" Michelle snarled, whirling on her furiously. "Can you just _get the hell outta here_?!" She demanded, scowling at Estela in frustration.

Estela blinked, looking curiously between Quinn and Michelle, before shrugging dismissively. "Do whatever you want." She finally said, shaking her head. "I hope Craig wakes up soon, 'cause your ships about to go down in flames; and we both know he'd love to see it happen."

"Hey, what's that supposed to-" Quinn demanded hotly, falling silent as Estela stalked out of the closet, and left a wide opening in the doorway; through which Taylor was able to make out a cardboard cirwn with the word 'loser' written across it in dark blue rhinestones. His heart lurched, upon realising it was the same colour as Quinn's dress. The colour drained from Michelle's face, as she quickly licked the crown away; but too late. As Quinn's shoulders slumped, Taylor felt his heart constrict in his throat, knowing she too had spotted it. "I..." She said, the sound of her swallowing audible all the way to where Taylor stood hidden. "I should have known..." She finally choked, shaking her head tiredly. "I should have listened to everyone about you." She sniffed, backing away from the blonde a step.

"Look, I-" Michelle began, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest defensively. "I wasn't gonna go through with it!" She sneered defensively, averting her eyes guiltily.

"You are..." Quinn said quietly, shaking her head as she took another small step backwards. "Absolutely, the _worst..._ I can't believe I stood up for you. That I-" she paused, sniffing loudly as she wiped her eyes hurriedly, her tone hardening as she turned back to the blonde determinedly. "It doesn't matter, if you _changed your mind_. It's the fact you were going to do it in the first place!"

"Hey, this isn't _my_ fault, okay?!" Michelle defended, stepping out of the closet as she jabbed a finger at Quinn accusingly. "You did something to me, I know it!" She insisted, her stormy expression fading the longer she gazed at Quinn. "I, I kept getting these headaches; horrible headaches! And the only thing that made them feel better was... was being with _you!"_ She said, her scowl returning as she hugged herself uncomfortably. "Am I supposed to think that's a coincidence!?"

 _Mr. Red_..? Taylor wondered before he could stop himself, certain from the sudden tensing of Quinn's shoulders that she'd had the very same thought.

"... Are you really so scared to feel for another person?" Quinn asked slowly, shaking her head as she looked up at Michelle. "That's _no excuse_ , and you damn well know it!" She cried, as Taylor blinked at the ferocity in her tone. "I didn't do anything to hurt you, I _wouldn't!_ I don't know anything about your stupid headaches!"

"But you know _something,_ right?!" Michelle demanded, flaring at Quinn accusingly as the redhead faltered in sudden shock. "Everyone's heard the rumours... about you; and your weirdo friends." Michelle said, seeming to calm slightly as Quinn stared at her in shock. "Did you have that freak, Zahra cast some voodoo on me?"

Quinn's hand moved so fast, Taylor never even saw it, only aware of what had happened from the stinging sound of flesh on flesh which rang down the hall; nd the sudden red mark, blazing on Michelle's cheek. "I would _never!"_ She swore lowly, her disgust at the suggestion apparent in her tone. "I didn't ask for anything to happen... I-"

"Save it." Michelle said, glaring at Quinn, as she held her cheek. "Whatever it was, the headaches are gone anyway. But..." She hesitated suddenly, though her hateful, suspicious expression did not soften. "My head doesn't feel any clearer." She stared at Quinn for a long pause, shaking her head slowly as she sighed a heavy exhale. "I _hated_ you, you know."

"Me?" Quinn gasped, backing up another step in surprise, as Taylor frowned at Michelle's slowly fading fury. "What the hell did I do?"

"You're so... _good!"_ Michelle sneered, rolling her eyes in frustration. "You're good and nice and people like you. And... you were dying. It was... like something in me just snapped. And then suddenly, you weren't anymore; and all I wanted, needed even, was to be around you as much as possible... But you're _so_ good. And I'm... _not."_ She explained weakly, her expression turning sad and wistful as she looked over at Quinn guiltily. "I... I wasn't going to do it." She said, gesturing over her shoulder to where the crown lay in the shadows of the closet. "I couldn't... after everything. I just... I didn't wanna hurt you anymore." She sighed suddenly, rubbing her temples with her fingers as if pained. "The time we've been spending together, the last couple of weeks? It reminded me... just how much I _missed_ you." She sighed, looking up as she moved to sit on an upturned crate, her back partially turned to Taylor and the wall he hid behind. "It reminded me, that I don't hate you at all. Not even a little bit." She said, rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes and smearing her mascara.

Quinn hesitated, staring at Michelle uncertainly for a long pause, before slowly approaching her, sitting on an identical crate across from her. "I guess... I sort of owe you an apology too." She said quietly, as Taylor scowled and shook his head, determined to have words with the redhead about the declaration later in the evening. "I don't know what was going on with the headaches and stuff _exactly,_ but... Sorry."

"Please don't apologize to me." Michelle sighed, shaking her head as she looked up at Quinn tiredly. "I may not have done it this time, but I would have. And I have before... You know that."

"Still, I'm sorry this happened to you." Quinn insisted, hesitating for a moment, before tentatively reaching for Michelle's hand and squeezing it gently.

"Why?" Michelle asked, frowning in confusion. _"Why_ are you always so nice to me?" She wondered aloud, staring at Quinn as if trying to work out the most infuriating puzzle.

"Because... I've _missed_ you." Quinn said quietly, a weak shadow of a smile flitting across her face briefly. "We used to be so close. And then we just... weren't." She said, shrugging her shoulder lightly. "And I never even knew why."

Taylor frowned, watching Quinn as she appraised the sad state Michelle was in, and he heaved a weary internal sigh; sensing even over the distance, that the redheads heart was softening towards Michelle, despite her antics. "I guess..." Quinn sighed, squeezing Michelle's hand again, before releasing it and sitting back slightly. "I thought you could change."

Michelle's eyes widened, and she stared at Quinn in open awe, utterly shocked and awed by the redheads confession. "M-maybe I could..." She said hesitantly, sitting slightly straighter, as she angled herself more fully toward Quinn. "I mean, I did this time; right? I know... that's not any sort of consolation, but... it might be a start." She said, biting her lip as she placed her hand on Quinn's knee. "I'm so sorry, for everything, Quinn." She said, and Taylor grimaced as he felt his own heart begin to thaw toward the blonde; able to discern the sincere affection in her tone. "You were right, this whole time. I never stopped liking you, I just _couldn't..._ I was just, such an idiot. Please," she said urgently, her hand slipping higher to snag Quinn's and clutch it desperately. _"Please,_ give me another chance... I _swear,_ I can be better. I'll do it; for you."

Quinn looked down to where Michelle clutched at her hand, and Taylor saw her throat constrict as she swallowed heavily. The redhead looked up, sniffing back tears as she shook her head and looked around the hallway sadly. "Michelle, i-" she paused, blinking as she spotted Taylor suddenly; who shook his head frantically. She frowned, as he pointed to where her hand was linked with Michelle's, before nodding firmly; desperately hoping she would understand. For a long tome, they stared in silent determination, until finally Quinn sighed and lowered her eyes.

 _"One_ more chance." She said quietly, as Taylor sagged against the wall in relief. "But this is it, and I _mean_ it!" She insisted, as Michelle squealed with happiness. "You can't just start being nice to me, either... You have to try to be nice to _everyone."_ She warned, as Michelle nodded and slipped from her crate to kneel before the redhead, her lips skimming Quinn's as she cupped her face in her hands.

 _Okay, this is getting way too weird and gross for me to see_... Taylor thought, grimacing as he saw Quinn blush deeply, before drawing back behind the wall.

"I promise, I will." He heard Michelle declare determinedly, and he smiled faintly at the thought that the pair might finally be able to be happy together. "I _can_ do this, Quinn... I can turn things around."

"I never gave up hope that you could." He heard Quinn reply, as he backed away quietly, heading back to the doors which would lead him back to the gym. He slipped through quickly, hurrying through the crowds to rejoin his friends. He was just standing on his tiptoes, searching across the faces around him, when he turned to find Jake waiting for him with a knowing smirk.

"Done playin' detective cupid?" He asked smugly, grinning when Taylor swatted his shoulder playfully and begrudgingly nodded. "Care to do me the honour, then?" He asked, stepping closer to Taylor and wrapping his arm around his waist.

"It would be my pleasure." Taylor replied humbly, humming contentedly when Jake pulled him snugly against him. He raised his arms around Jake's shoulders, leaning against his chest as they swayed to the slow song playing around them. "Thank you, again... for coming with me."

Jake smiled, brushing the back of his free hand across Taylors cheek lightly. "I wouldn't have missed it." He said, turning Taylor in a slow circle, as his clear eyes locked onto Taylors darker gaze. "This is my first homecomin' dance, actually." He admitted, flashing Taylor a lopsided grin.

"You?" Taylor asked, raising his brows in surprise. "With those sweet moves?" He snickered, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, really such a travesty." He scoffed, the thumb of his hand at the small of Taylors back making gentle circular motions, as they drifted across the dance floor slowly.

"So, what?" Taylor asked, grinning as he cocked his head curiously. "Too cool for the high school dance thing? Your own, that is..." He snickered, as Jake rolled his eyes again.

"Nah... I dunno." Jake said, shrugging his shoulders as his eyes met Taylors again. "I guess I... just never had someone to go with." He said slowly, raising a brow as Taylor broke out in a triumphant grin.

"Well, I'm _honoured_ to be your first." He said smugly, leaning forward to close the gap between them.

"Funny, I was gonna say the same damn thing..." Jake murmured, causing Taylor to blush furiously, before their lips met in a searing kiss which lasted for a long moment; and then two. When it was finally over, Taylor bit his lip and gazed at Jake happily, as they swayed to the music together and basked in each others close proximity.

A short while later, after the final chords of the song had faded out, a familiar bland voice filled the auditorium. "How are we doing tonight, Wolves?" Estela called unenthusiastically, clearly unimpressed at having been forced onto the stage. "It's usually the duty of last years Queen to announce homecoming court, but nobody can find Michelle; so you're stuck with me, whether I like it or not... apparently."

 _Get in there, Quinn_... Taylor thought with a fond grin as Estela grumbled and scowled into the crowd. He turned to whisper to Jake, and instead jumped away, yelping in surprise when he saw Quinn stood beside him. She threw her arms around him without a word, hugging him fiercely for a moment, as Taylor blinked in surprise. He looked over her shoulder at Michelle, her make up still smudged around the eyes. When they made eye contact, Taylor was surprised to find the blonde offering him a weak smile. Guess Quinn really does mean a lot to her. He thought, clearing his throat and carefully extracting himself from the redheads embrace. "Hey, beautiful..." He said slowly, raising a pointed brow at her. "Everything okay?"

"Better now." She said firmly, beaming at him as she stepped back and laced her hand with Michelle's. "Thank you." She said firmly, as Taylor wrinkled his nose at her and pinched her cheek with a quiet laugh.

He turned when he heard Raj snort on his other side, to find the large boy looking up at the stage with a face filled with pure disdain. "I wish we could skip this part..." Raj said, shaking his head slowly. "Just another perpetuation of the class system in this school." He sneered, glancing down at Taylor as he blinked at him blankly. "... It's really lame, dude." He simplified, snorting in amusement as Taylors confusion cleared.

"Yeah, I'm totally with you, dude." He coughed, shrugging his shoulders as he turned toward the stage. "I think its stupid... An archaic tradition, which should be banned!" He growled fiercely, as he and Raj bumped fists. He peeked at Jake, leaning closer so he was out of Raj's hearing range. "... Unless it's me!" He whispered, as Jake snorted in fond amusement.

"Without further ado," Estela sighed wearily, clearly bored and irritated at having to be on stage. "This years homecoming king is..." She said, rolling her eyes in exasperation as a drumrool sound effect blared through the speakers. She sighed audibly as she tore open one of the two envelopes in her hands, her brow rising briefly before she faced forward again. "It's Sean Gayle."

Applause broke out throughout the auditorium, and while there were a few shouts of 'one hit wonder' they were mostly drowned out by excited cheers and clapping, and cries of 'go on Gayle, give us Hayle'.

"Uh, what?" Sean asked, blinking in surprise as Taylor began to cheer and whistle, the others laughing at the look of confusion on Sean's face. "How is this even possible?"

"Pretty sure votin' happened that week we played Anderton." Rebecca said smugly, snapping a picture of Sean's shocked expression on her phone. "Though to be honest, I think ya deserve this anyway, Sean..."

"Urgh, you even awake down there, Gayle?" Estela demanded, scowling into the crowd as she waited for him to step up on the stage.

"Well?" Taylor demanded, making shooing notions with his hands. "What are you waiting for, Cap? _Go!"_

"He's right, Steve Rogers." Jake huffed, clapping along with the others, as a bright smile broke our on his face. "Get goin' and get ya prize or crown, or whatever..." 

Sean beamed around his friends briefly, before bounding up to the stage proudly. "Well, I'll be damned..." Raj hummed thoughtfully, a surprised smile heading his lips. Taylor whistled as Estela sighed and wearily set a crown onto Sean's head.

 _"Woohoo!"_ Taylor yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his cheers. "Go Sean!" He cried, beaming at Jake, when the pilot draped an arm over his shoulders.

"Shut up already, I wanna get this over with." Estela groused, scowling when the crowd cheered louder. "Finally, the homecoming Queen for this year is..." Estela cut off as the doors nearest Taylors group slammed open, making them jump. He watched in confusion, as Sean stared past them, his face rapidly paling.

"What the-" he choked, his eyes widening as Taylors stomached clenched with a sudden sense of foreboding. He whirled around, ducking under Jake's arm just in time to see Ximaedra staggering in, clutching her stomach.

"What in heavens name is _she_ doing here?" Aleister demanded, taking an uneasy step backwards, as he stared at the old woman with noticeable apprehension in his piercing eyes.

"Oh my god, _look..!"_ Zahra gasped, pointing to where blood was seeping through Ximaedra's fingertips, the colour rapidly draining from her blue face. A scream swelled up from the crowd, as people started to realize what was happening.

"Taylor." Ximaedra called in a hoarse croak, snapping him from his disbelieving stare and startling him into action. 

"Ximaedra!" He called, pushing at the bodies blocking him and shoving them out of his way roughly. "Why are you-" he began, cutting off abruptly as he barely managed to catch the old woman before her legs gave our and she hit the floor. She grabbed onto him for support, her blood smearing across the front of his shirt as he stared down at her in shock and confusion.

... F-failed..." She stammered, her ruined eye staring through him blankly, while her brows knit together in concentration. "The ritual... _failed."_ She choked, as Taylors stomach hollowed, his blood turning to ice in his veins. 

He shook his head pleadingly, as students began to gather around them, barely held back by Jake and the rest of his friends as they craned their necks to try and get a better look. "Give 'em some goddamn space!" Jake snarled, his hard glare forcing several students back several paces. "And someone call a goddamn ambulance!" He ordered, his hand slipping back to squeeze Taylors shoulder quickly.

"Listen well, boy..." Ximaedra groaned urgently, shakily drawing a small book from her pocket and weakly thrusting it into Taylors hands. "There's not much time."

"But-" Taylor protested, shaking his head as he glanced at the book, quickly tucking ir into his own pocket before anyone else could see it.

"I-I'm so... I'm so sorry..." Ximaedra panted, shaking her head quickly. "I th-thought... really thought..." She coughed, a fresh ted stain blossoming across her lips.

"N-no..." Taylor pleaded, shaking his head as his eyes swam with tears. "We won. We did it. Everything's fine... there must be-" he trailed off as she muttered something, but he couldn't hear her over the crowds nervous chatter. "I can't... What are you saying?" He asked, leaning in close and tilting his ear toward her blood stained lips. When she inhaled, the air rattled; the last breath in her.

" _He's coming_." She rasped, before her grip loosened suddenly, and she slumped back against the floor.

"N-no..." Taylor choked, staring at Ximaedra's lifeless body in disbelief. "This can't be..." He muttered, slowly raising his head from her lips and lifting his haunted gaze to his friends.

"Taylor?" Rebecca asked nervously, her eyes wide as she took in his shocked and horrified expression. "What did she say?!" She demanded, just as an unnatural howling surrounded the gym.

All around the room, doors began to fly open, and wave after wave of vine tangled creatures came storming in; growling and snarling viciously. "Oh god..." Taylor choked, gently lowering Ximaedra to the floor and stumbling to his feet, as the crowd around him scrambled away in every direction; screaming.

One of the monstrous creatures broke from the pack, and stalked slowly toward Taylor, its eyes blazing hatefully. "That's... _not_ Tetra, is it?" He asked, swallowing heavily as he stumbled back a step, attempting to hide Jake from the beast. _Oh god, no... Not again, not now... Please, not him_... He thought desperately, his heart racing in his chest.

"Definitely not." Zahra spat, scowling as Quinn bumped into Taylors other shoulder, backing away from another creature facing her. Taylor swallowed heavily, looking toward the exits, which were now covered in spiders the size of his fist.

"Aw, hell no..." He heard Jake mutter, as he ran a hand through his hair and shuddered, his other hand reaching back for the pilots. "Because this school ain't seen enough spiders for a lifetime or three..."

"We gotta get outta here, _now,_ doodlejumps." Raj declared, scowling around the gym hatefully. "Where the hell is Sean?" Taylors breath caught and he turned toward the stage, trying to see over the panicked, screaming crowd.

"There!" He gasped, pointing up on the stage, where he could just make our Sean; slamming a folded chair into one creature, and then another.

"Yeah!" He yelled, bashing another creature aside. "What's my name?!" He demanded, winding up to swing again, just as a huge creature leapt up from the dance floor; its jaws clamping tightly around his leg. _"Arghhh!"_ Sean screamed in pain, as the creature twisted its head, causing a sickening crunch. Taylor gasped, his hand flying to his mouth as Jake's arm curled protectively around his shoulder, pulling him back to the pilots chest; as they stared in horror, at the sharp piece of bone which now protruded through Sean's leg. The athlete screamed again, as the beast dragged him toward the exit.

 _"Sean!"_ Taylor cried, struggling with Jake to fight through the crowd; knowing they wouldn't make it in time. "Sean! Just hold on! We're coming!" He called desperately, screaming in frustration as bodies collided with him and blocked his path.

Sean managed to catch hold of the doorframe, as the beast bounded through the exit doors. Through a gap on the crowd, Sean's pained brown eyes locked onto Taylors desperate blue ones. "Taylor..." He called pleadingly, his muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he tried to hold on. _"Help!"_ He begged desperately, and then, with a final horrific jerk; Sean was gone.


	17. Fight Or Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiii!
> 
> You might now be aware, but i am insanwly excited to have this chapter ready for you now. I mean it. I have worked really hard on it - evident bybits rapid posting since the last chapter... i just hope its a good one - i mean, i always hope that - but this one especially becausw my twists start to come intk effext more here so... eek! Excited to see what you think!
> 
> Thankyou so much for sticking with me evwryone! There arent words what your support means to me...   
> Si withiut further ado - please accept my humble offering...
> 
> x My love to you all x

**17.**

**Fight Or Flight**.

As his senior homecoming descended into chaos around him, Taylor stared in wide eyed disbelief and shoved in the wrong direction through a panicking crowd, yelling at the top of his lungs. _"Sean!"_ He cried desperately, bursting into the open but tripping on an upturned folding chair; causing him to slam into the floor.

 _"Taylor!"_ He heard Jake call urgently, and he looked up to find a vine monster like the one which took Sean; stalking towards him, when suddenly, it leaped.

Taylor gasped, scrabbling to push himself up on one arm, grabbing the folding chair he'd tripped on with his other hand and smashing it sideways across the creatures face. "I am _so_ not in the mood for this _shit!"_ He snarled, scowling as the monster crashed to the floor and tumbled past him. Taylor grit his teeth and turned toward the exit, staggering to his feet unsteadily. _"Sean!"_ He yelled again, his expression crumpling in guilt and desperation, when he saw that the doors had already swung closed; and that Sean was gone. "No no no no _no..._ This _can't_ be happening..." He muttered, tangling his hand in his hair and tugging sharply.

Taylor choked on a sob, turning his desperate eyes around the gym to see Jake fighting off creatures and monsters nearby, defending a group of students and teachers with his sisters help; despite constantly throwing Taylor nervous glances. He spotted Raj near the stage, and his heart lurched in fear when he suddenly noticed a monster sprinting up behind his large friend. "No..." He whispered, narrowing his eyes as he ran toward Raj. "No..." He said, yanking the microphone stand off the stage as he passed. _"No..!"_ He called, grimacing as the monster snarled at his friend. _"I said no!_ " He yelled, just as Raj turned to the monster with a gasp of surprise. "Raj... _Duck!"_ He ordered, stabbing the mic stand into the creatures hide like a spear. The monster staggered back, tangling in electrical cords, before falling over with a vicious snarl.

"Whoa!" Raj gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at the beast which had almost caught him. "Nice save, dude!" 

"Come on!" He cried, grabbing Raj's wrist and dragging him back through the chaos, desperately trying to locate the rest of his friends.

"Why... How is this _happening?!"_ Aleister demanded, his eyes wide as he surveyed the ensuing disruption around them. "These things should not even be _alive_ any longer!"

"Yeah, well..." Zahra scoffed, tossing her knife in her hand briefly. "Try telling that to _them!"_ She said, scowling at the beasts which were biting, swiping and shoving their way through screaming bystanders; slowly making their way towards Taylor and his friends.

"They're after _us!"_ Quinn cried, her eyes wide as she glanced at Michelle, before rushing forward and grabbing Taylors hand. "The longer we stay here, the more people we put in danger!"

"Quinn's correct, we must make haste and _get the hell out of here_!" Aleister roared, as he grabbed a broken chair leg and began to use it as a fencing sabre, swinging and jabbing to keep the creatures back as beat he could.

Just as Taylor was about to speak, Principal Hall's voice cut through the noise. "Everyone, the hallway is clear! Get to the classrooms and lock the doors!" She ordered, as students and faculty began to push and shove in their effort to follow her instructions.

"Come on!" Taylor cried, joining the back of the stampede for the exit, only for the crowd to bottle neck in the doors; screaming and shoving as the monsters stalked forward. Taylor started at the sound of a large crash, to find Estela had flipped a serving table to make a barricade. "Estela, what the hell are you _doing?!"_  

" _Shut up_!" She snarled, glaring at him as she broke off a table leg effortlessly and began using the sharpest end to attack any creatures making it past the barricade. "Get out of here, and _fix your mess_!" She yelled, fighting viciously as the crowd squeezed out, the monsters pressing down on her; tearing the table to shreds and finally overwhelming her, claws and fangs sinking in as she growled and continued to fight as best she could.

"No!" Michelle gasped, moving forward a step, only for Quinn to grab her hand and stop her. "Someone, _help her!"_

 _"Grrrahhh!"_ Estela roared, throwing a monster from her side and turning a furious scowl towards them. _"I said get the hell out of here, you idiots!"_ She snarled, before she vanished beneath a sea of snapping jaws.

"Come on..." Taylor said, reluctantly turning and sprinting for the hall, pursued by bloodcurdling screams. He felt a hand slip into his own, and glanced up to see Jake beside him, driving him to run faster, as they fled down the hall; dodging the screaming students and chaperones which barricaded themselves inside classrooms. He glanced over his shoulder, spying the swarm of monsters surging after them, and he gasped as he faced forward, terror clutching at his heart as he remembered the devastation they'd already caused. "They're right behind us!"

 _"Book it!"_ Zahra cried from the middle of the group, shoving Quinn's shoulder and urging her to run faster.

"Uh, doodlejumps? Trouble..!" Raj yelled, pointing to where a trio of plane monsters burst our of the gym behind then, fishtailing into the lockers with vicious snarls and growls.

"Into the auditorium!" Aleister ordered sharply, taking the lead as he veered across the hall. Taylor stopped in the middle of the hall, terror flooding him, as Jake's hand left his; the pilot continuing straight down the hall.

"Jake!" He cried desperately, his gut churning as he glanced at the still struggling beasts. "Where the _hell_ are you _going?!"_  

"I'll lead 'em away!" The pilot yelled back, glancing over his shoulder and scowling at Taylor. "Y'all get the hell outta here, Boy Scout! Hide, then head for the parkin' lot! I'll meet ya there!" He ordered, just as he from halfway up the hall.

"Jake!" Taylor called, backing away reluctantly; Rebecca and Quinn tugged at his arms, as the pilot glanced to glare back at Taylor. "Be careful..!" He pleaded urgently, glancing at the monsters which began to prowl after Jake.

The pilot ran backwards, flashing Taylor a cocky grin as he saluted with two fingers. "Ain't never been careful in my life, Boy Scout..." He scoffed, winking as he reached the exit. "Noq, get the _hell outta here,_ Taylor!" He yelled, throwing the doors open wide and turning his attention to the vine monsters stalking him. _"C'mon,_ ya ugly skags..." He growled loudly, as Taylor was dragged through the open auditorium doors. 

Moments later, the monsters charged past, snarling as they pursued Jake. Everyone doubled over, panting as they tried to catch their breath, while Taylor began to pace in agitation. "Are they gone?" Rebecca gasped, her eyes wide and conflicted as Taylor glanced at her sharply.

He was about to respond with an acerbic comment, when Quinn gasped loudly. "No... _Look!"_ She cried, pointing through the doorway.

"Everyone, _down now!"_ Taylor whispered harshly, quickly dropping into a crouch behind the door, while the others quickly hid themselves. He peered around the doorframe, carefully looking out into the hall, where one of the creatures slowed; ots flaming eyes swivelling in their direction. Taylor drew back sharply, the back of his head colliding with the wall quietly as he stared at the ceiling _. Jake... Don't do anything stupid. Be safe_... He silently pleaded, before shaking his head to try and clear away his concerns; forcing himself to concentrate on the immediate threat to himself and his friends. _Come on, focus... Sooner we get our of here, the sooner we can make sure he's safe_. He thought, his gaze hardening as he cocked his head towards the door; the sound of claws clicking against the polished floors, slowly approaching them. 

Across the other side of the open door, Taylor spotted Aleister peek out from his cover, his mouth moving silently to ask where the beast was. Taylor shook his head discreetly, his eyes cutting towards the door as the creatures about thrust in over the threshold; barely an inch from Aleister's hand. Taylor felt his heart clench, as he watched his friends face contorting in fear, terrified by the snarling beast so close to them. _Maybe I can distract it_... He thought suddenly, his muscles tightening as he prepared to fling himself from the wall and attract its attention. _Give the others a chance to escape... Play the hero, like Jake_. He thought, barely stifling an incredulous snort.

 _"Psst!"_ He jumped, as Zahra hissed lowly beside his ear, tapping his shoulder for good measure. He turned to glare at her, only for her to point up at a red, metal box, hanging on the wall above them. He leaned forward, his eyes widening as he peered up to see an axe trapped behind some glass. He looked back at Zahra, who raised her brows questioningly.

 _Why not? Sure as hell gonna be handy_... He thought, nodding at her as he slowly shifted his weight and got to his feet. "Yeah..." He said, his gaze hardening as Zahra's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm _so_ done." He growled, slamming his elbow through the safety glass and grabbing the axe. _"Hey, party crasher!"_ He yelled, as the monster in the doorway snarled, charging through and raising it's head in surprise, as Taylor charged towards it. " _Crash this_!" He roared, bringing the axe down as hard as he could and slashing through the creatures neck with a blow so hard, the blade bit through the floor.

The creatures body crumpled, twitching beneath Taylors axe blade, as Taylor picked up its still snapping head. "That is _quite_ enough out of you." He sneered, scowling as he calmly blew out its flaming eyes like candles; its body instantly falling still.

For a moment, the room remained silent, until a slow exhale and quiet whistle rang out around them. _"Wow."_ Quinn said, her eyes wide as she stared at Taylor, who only half turned to glance at his friends.

"Okay, not gonna lie..." Zahra said proudly, walking over and bumping her fist to his shoulder. "That was kinda _hot."_

"Zahra, focus." Taylor snapped, swinging his axe over his shoulder as he stood tensely, trying to reign in his emotions before deciding what to do next.

"My thanks, for your swift thinking and heroic save, Taylor." Aleister drawled, eyeing the fallen monster with a sneer, before offering Taylor a rare and genuine smile.

"No problem." He replied distractedly, sighing as he ran his free hand through his hair. "We need to get the hell out of here... Quinn's right, they're after _us;_ if we leave, everyone still in the school will be safe." He said, striding towards the door determinedly.

"Wait! Taylor, dude, what if its not cle-" Raj began, only to fall silent when Taylor flashed a glare over his shoulder.

"Then I'll _make_ it clear." He said lowly, the blade of his axe flashing as he walked beneath one of the fluorescent lights. "I am _not_ leaving Jake out there with our mess a second longer." He bit out, stepping out into the hallway confidently.

"Me either." Rebecca added, hurrying after him and lacing her fingers together with his free hand. "Anythin' happened to him, I wanna be first in line to kick his ass." She whispered, causing a brief smile to flit across Taylors face, before they both turned serious once more; and carefully led the others outside.

School alarm bells were screaming out over the parking lot, as they crowded together, heads swinging in all directions as they looked for signs of more monsters. "Where the _hell_ is Jake?!" Taylor demanded, his stomach twisting nervously as bile rose in his throat.

"Ya don't think he-" Rebecca choked, her face falling in grief as ahw half raised a hand to her mouth.

" _Don't say it!_ " Taylor cried, snatching his hand free of her. "Don't _any_ of you damn well say it; don't even _think_ it!" He cried desperately, stepping forward and searching the empty parking lot urgently.

"Taylor-" Rebecca began, before she was cut off by the rapid sound of approaching feet, and the desperate call of her name.

 _"Becca!"_ Mayor McKenzie yelled, racing towards them from the school hallway.

 _"Mom?!"_ Rebecca choked, spinning on her heels to stare at her mother in disbelief as Mayor McKenzie, covered in scrapes and thoroughly disheveled, marched directly up to her daughter and grabbed her by the arm. "What the _hell_ are ya doin'?" Rebecca demanded, firmly planting her feet as her mother attempted to tug her away.

"Gettin' ya out of here!" The Mayor snapped, glancing around them all briefly, her eyes lingering on Taylor as he stood firmly outside of the group, his axe on his shoulder still as he regarded her coolly. "C'mon, all of ya! There's a storm shelter on the other side of the buildin'... We can make it, if we run!"

 _"No,_ Mayor McKenzie." Taylor said calmly, shaking his head slowly. "We can't stay here." He said, glancing around the larking lot again as his heart cramped in fear for Jake's safety.

"Excuse me?" The Mayor scoffed, raising a brow at Taylor in disbelief. _"You_ may be willing to endanger the lives of anyone who associates with ya, but ya _won't_ take my daughter with you on whatever suicida-"

"Mom! Leave Taylor _alone!"_ Rebecca yelled, scowling as she noticed Taylors eyes lower to the ground, his expression turning cold. "Look, I don't have time to explain, but I need ya to trust me!"

"Yes, 'cause that worked _so_ well for me the last time." The Mayor scoffed, her ire shifting back to her daughter as her grip tightened on Rebecca's arm, who flinched at the reprimand and tightening grip. "Rebecca, ya friends can do as they wish; if they want to get themselves or each other killed, let 'em. But I am ya damn mother, and I say you're comin' with me! _End of discussion_!"

"You're just like every other pitiful excuse for an adult in this town..." Taylor muttered, his eyes rising slowly, as he glared icily at the shocked Mayor. "You all sense it, all know its there... But you don't _acknowledge_ it, and you blame anyone else for everything you do wrong! No _wonder_ Jake couldn't wait to get away from you!" He snarled, his voice rising as his eyes filled with tears of frustration. He scrubbed at them furiously, as he turned his eyes to a still shocked Rebecca. _"Godammit,_ Becca! _Stand up for yourself_! Don't let her talk to you like that!" He half yelled and half pleaded, shaking his head as Rebecca blinked at him dazedly.

 _"You_ stay out of this!" The Mayor snarled, scowling at Taylor furiously. _"You've_ caused _more_ than enough pain and damage in this town, _you'll not_ destroy my daughters life like you did-"

 _"No,_ mom." Rebecca growled, glaring at her mother, who fell into a stunned silence as she turned to her daughter. "Taylors _right."_ She snarled, wrenching her arm free with a grimace of pain, and quickly stepping away. "Ya _always_ do this! Ya barrel in, actin' like ya in charge; when really, ya have _no idea_ what's goin' on!" She yelled, her eyes glistening with tears of frustration and grief. "Ya treat me like I'm just some hurdle ya have to jump, or a dumb little poodle whose behaviour ya _tolerate..."_ She sniffed, finally wiping her eyes as her mother stared at her in stunned disbelief. "But I _ain't!_ I'm a human bein'..! And I'm tired of _you_ and _everyone else_ treatin' me like I'm _just_ the Mayor's daughter!"

"Rebecca, I..." Mayor McKenzie paused, and Taylor found himself glancing away at the way her face crumpled with grief. "I didn't know that's how ya felt about me... Why didn't ya say somethin' sooner?" She asked, her brows furrowing in hurt and confusion.

"I've _tried,_ Mom." Rebecca said, shaking her head and swallowing heavily. "I've tried and tried and _tried..._ Ya don't _listen,_ but-" she began, until Raj loudly spoke over her.

"Uh, hey young and older doodlejumps, not to interrupt Drama Club, but; _look out!"_ He cried over the shattering of glass, as a dozen monsters exploded out the front doors, heading their way.

"Mom, _run!"_ Rebecca begged, her eyes widening in fear as she moved forward and quickly shoved at her mother.

"Rebecca McKenzie, I am _not_ leavin' you with that murdero-" the mayor's words were abruptly cut off by Rebecca's hand colliding hard with her cheek.

 _"Run!"_ She yelled again, tearing herself free and darting after the group, as Taylor led them away across the parking lot, his heart sinking in his chest like a heavy stone in water.

"They're gaining on us!" Quinn gasped, glancing over her shoulder as she raced along at the back of the group, her shoes dangling from her hands.

"They're _ahead_ of us, too!" Zahra yelled, drawing the group to skid to a halt, their backs to each other so they could face the approaching monsters.

"This is _futile..."_ Aleister sighed, shaking his head as he shielded Zahra and Rebecca as best as he could with his body. "There's simply _too many_ of them!" He said, as Taylor began to take deep breaths.

"Get to the rear parking lot." He ordered, stepping forward from their protective circle and adjusting his grip on his axe. "Zahra, you can hotwire a car or the school bus... Get to my house." He said, swinging the axe sharply to his left, as a vine creature broke formation and charged at him.

"Taylor, this is hardly the time for ridiculous heroi-" Aleister began to snarl, as Taylor growled and slammed the axe into the side of the monster, smashing clean through its scalp and dodging aside as it crashed to the floor.

He whirled on his friends with such a coldness o his eyes, that they flinched, stepping back unconsciously. "I said, _go!"_ He ordered, turning to slice through the leg of another monster, before slamming the axe into its back, breaking its spine. "I am _not_ just gonna stand around..." He growled, snarling as he reversed hos grip on the axe, and whipped it up into the jaw of another snarling beast. "... watching the people I _love, die..."_ He grit out, grimacing as a monster crashed into him and knocked him to the ground. "... _Not. Again..."_ He snarled, wrestling the beast aside, before stomping on its head, and slamming the axe into its neck.

 _"Taylo-"_ Rebecca cried, reaching for him, though Aleister grabbed her by the shoulders to hold her back. 

"Wait... What's that sound?" Quinn gasped, as a black muscle car suddenly exploded into view, swerving out of the rear car park with a screech of tyres and a roar of its engine. Taylor whirled around in surprise as monsters crashed sideways off the hood, the car turning and shrieking to a stop; as the driver kicked the door open.

"Get in the goddamn car, ya _idiot!"_ Jake ordered, scowling at him furiously, as Taylors heart leapt.

 _"Jake!"_ He cried, staring in stunned disbelief and overcone with relief, as his friends scrambled to get to the back doors of the car.

"Okay, _that_ was _awesome!"_ Rebecca cheered, clapping her hands before she ran around to the far side.

"Praise me later! I said _get the hell in!_ " Jake barked, as Taylors friends began to pile into the back of the car. Jake jumped out of the car, hefting a tyre iron to cover the group clambering into the car as more monsters swarmed in on them, their eyes blazing with fury.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you..." Taylor hiccupped, as he swung his axe and clipped off the paw of a charging creature, forcing it to stumble and finally crash into a wall.

"Yeah, we can talk later 'bout how _pissed_ I am to see ya tryin' to fight this horde yaself." Jake huffed backing closer to Taylor and reaching back to squeeze his hand briefly. "For now, get in the _goddamn car already."_ He ordered, turning them so Taylor could race toward the car.

The creatures snarled, stalking closer with their heads lowered almost to the ground. "Oh _yeah?"_ Jake snorted, twirling his tyre iron with a smug grin. "What're ya gonna do 'bout it, ya ugly bastard?" He snorted, before metal clanged against bone; as Jake smashed a monster mid-launch with a backhanded swing. Taylor quickly hopped into the passenger seat, and yelled through the open drivers door.

"Jake, lets _go!"_ He called urgently, and with a final clobber of his tire iron to a monsters bony face, he whirled and jumped back into the car and slamming the door. 

Before the pilot could start the car however, a monster lunged through the window in a hail of glass, chomping into his side. _"Arrghhh!"_ He growled, scowling as he revved the engine and stomped on the gas. The monster wrenched put of sight, as the car leapt up to speed, and tore off out of the school grounds.

"Jake..." Taylor murmured, reaching over to rest his hand on the pilots shoulder as the car skidded around a corner, racing through the downtown streets. He watched helplessly from the passenger seat, as Jake glanced in the rearview mirror.

"How's everyone doin' back there?" He asked, glancing over at Taylor and assessing his lack of harm gratefully.

" _Freaking. Out_." Zahra snarled, running her hands through her Mohawk as she sat wedged on Aleister's lap in the back of the car.

"Same." Quinn said, shaking her head from where she had squeezed herself onto Raj's lap.

"Cool," Jake said, huffing a brief chuckle. "Glad we're all on the same- _nnggh..._ page..." He winced, holding his side as he drove.

"Jake, are you okay?" Taylor demanded, worrying his lip as he tried to pry Jake's hand free so he could see the injury beneath.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." The pilot assured, flashing Taylor a cocky grin as he shifted and purposely kept his side out of Taylors reach.

"Are you sure?" Taylor pressed, frowning as he tried to squint at the pilots side. "That thing bit you..."

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it." Jake said flippantly, winking at Taylor conspiratorially. "If I start turnin' into a zombie, one of ya can just kill me." He teased.

In the back seat, Zahra waved his discarded tyre iron. "On it." She assured, watching him intently, as he snorted with amusement.

"There, _see?"_ He said, flashing Taylor a grin. "All under control." He said, as police cars rocketed past them in the opposite direction, their sirens screaming as they raced toward the school.

"You know, you guys are _so_ not funny." Taylor barked, scowling between Jake and Zahra as they both snorted at him. "In fact, the opposite of funny? That's like... barely even _grazing_ what you are right no-"

"Oh, like how ya were tryin' to take on everythin' yaself?" Jake asked, his expression darkening as he looked over at Taylor. "What the _hell_ were ya _thinkin'?!"_ He demanded, his temper rising as Taylor glared back at him.

"Uh, hello? Dudes, can we focus on the fact that _monsters kidnapped Sean_?!" Raj exclaimed, looking around the group with wide eyes.

"If these creatures have returned, then we must assume that Mr. Red has also..." Aleister said thoughtfully, his brow creasing as he met Taylors eye. "Which means, the ritual was _unsuccessful."_

"But _why?!"_ Rebecca demanded, shaking her head in confusion. "We did everythin' we were supposed to!" She insisted, looking around them all imploringly as Taylor frowned, an itch beginning to tickle at the back of his mind.

"I don't know." Aleister sighed, reaching to run a hand through his hair awkwardly. "But, until we figure it out, we cannot just charge in. If we go up against Mr. Red unprepared... we're as good as dead."

"So is _Sean,_ if we don't go after him, dude!" Raj said heatedly, as Quinn gasped sharply at a sudden realisation, drawing everyone to turn towards her.

"I just realised..." She choked, as she looked at Taylor with fear in her wide, crystalline eyes. "If these things came after _us,_ maybe they went after _Diego_ too!"

"Well shit..." Rebecca cursed, as Jake's brows rose in surprise, glancing at his sister in the mirror with a faintly proud grin forming on his lips. "We have to get to the hospital and get him before _they_ do!"

"We don't have time for that!" Raj insisted, narrowing his eyes in determination. "We all need to-"

"Jake, look out!" Rebecca cried suddenly, gripping the back of the passenger seat tightly as Jake winced, the car edging towards the edge of the road. Taylor ducked away from the door, as gus mirror exploded against a street light.

 _"Damn!"_ Jake growled, grimacing as he jerked the wheel and steered the cad back onto the road, before slamming on the brakes. He grunted, gripping his side.

 _"Jake!_ What are you-" Taylor cried, his words disappearing beneath a horrified gasp, as he noticed the blood soaking through Jake's shirt and waistcoat.

"Guess that bastard at the school got me a little better than I made out..." Jake admitted, glancing down at the wound, before tossing a wry grin towards Taylor.

"That settles it." Taylor said, scowling at Jake for a moment, before glaring into the back of the car. "Jake, get in the back. Aleister, you drive. We're going to the hospital. _Now."_

"C'mon, Boy Scout-" Jake groaned, as the others got out and Taylor ran around the car, opening the drivers door as Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine... Do I at least get you sittin' on my lap though?" He asked, as Taylor helped him out of the car with Raj's help.

 _"Pfft,_ like I'd let anyone else." Taylor scoffed, scowling at the pilot briefly, before his expression melted into one of concern. "But, how about you sit on mine for now..? I really don't wanna hurt you anymore..." He said, as they helped him hobble to the back of the car.

"Heh, first time for everythin' I guess." Jake huffed, throwing Taylor a pained wink as he slid into the seat before the pilot. "Urgh, this is embarrassin'..." Jake muttered, grimacing as Raj helped him sit on Taylors lap, leaning against the doorframe after the large boy had closed the door.

"Shut up, Jake." Rebecca ordered, sitting in the front seat with Raj, as the others piled back into the back and Aleister took the wheel. "Don't ya dare start complainin', and don't ya dare even _think_ of dyin' on me, else I'm gonna kick ya ass all the way to Christmas and back. I am _not_ dealin' with Taylor poutin' and bein' miserable again." She barkes, scowling over the edge of the seat, as Jake snorted and saluted her roughly.

 _"Poutin'?"_ He asked quietly, raising a brow as he shifted his weight with a wince so he could look at Taylor, who flushed with a vibrant stain of colour.

"I, uh... Have no idea what the crazy cheerleader is talking about." He coughed dryly, clearing his throat as he looked up at Jake with blatant concern in his dark eyes. "Jake..." He murmured, sighing as the pilot shushed him and trailed his fingers over his cheek. "Just... _rest."_ He said, as Aleister floored the gas and sped them towards the hospital.

He sat tensely, watching Jake wince and pale considerably, all but counting the seconds as Aleister drove them quickly to the hospital and parked right out the front. He and Raj quickly got out and hurried to help Jake through the doors, only to hesitate when they entered. Taylor stepped around them with a frown, but his expression fell when he found the lobby was eerily empty. "What the _hell?"_ Jake coughed, scowling around the abandoned lobby suspiciously.

"Indeed..." Aleister agreed, frowning as he looked around curiously. "Where _is_ everyone?!" He demanded, tugging Jake and Raj with him as he strode to the desk and rang the bell determinedly.

"I knew it! I _freakin' knew_ it, dudes!" Raj groused, glaring around them all accusingly. "No one _ever_ listens to Raj!"

"Diego..." Taylor murmured, his heart clenching nervously. Without thought, he began moving down the hall, soon breaking into an all out run.

"Someone should check Diego's room!" Quinn said, only to gasp in surprise when she realised Taylor was already long gone. _"Taylor!"_ She called after him, though Taylor didn't pause, rushing through the abandoned building desperately as his heart raced in his chest. He crashed into his best friends doorway, panting heavily as he sagged despondently against the doorframe, upon finding no sign of his friend; and claw marks slashed across his bed.

"No..." He muttered, shaking his head as bile constricted his throat. "No, no, _no!"_ He cried, his hand tangling in his hair and tugging sharply as Zahra, Rebecca and Quinn arrived behind him, out of breath from trying to keep up.

"We're too late..." Rebecca gasped, her face falling as she laid her hand on Taylors arm and gripped him tightly in reassurance. 

"They must have come for Diego like they came for us..." Quinn guessed, glancing down the hallway sadly. "And forced everyone to evacuate."

"Then where the _hell_ are the cops?" Taylor demanded, shaking himself free of Rebecca as he began to pace in irritation.

"They're all at the school..." Quinn explained gently, watching Taylor worriedly, until the sound of Zahra's fist slamming into the drywall made her jump.

 _"Damn_ it!" Zahra growled, gritting her teeth against the tears of frustration which welled in her eyes. Taylors heart sank, and he threw a last look at Diego's empty bed, before sighing and turning away.

"Come on... we should get back to the others." He muttered quietly, leading the way back to the lobby and walking right up to where Jake sat by the desk, and pausing at his side. "Hey, how ya doing, Top Gun?" He asked, glancing to where the pilot held a wad of gauze to his side.

Aleister and Raj looked up at Taylor entrance, standing from their own seats in the waiting area. "Where is Diego?" Aleister asked befire Jake couod answer Taylors enquiry, his brow creasing in concern when he didn't spot their friend with them. "Is he alright, at least?"

"What the hell does it _look like,_ dork?" Zahra sneered, scowling at him irritably as Raj swore and began to pace.

"I... I don't understand." Quinn said, holding her arms around herself. "Why didn't the ritual work? We did the goblets, the incantation, all of it! Redfield was _sealed!"_ She insisted, frowning in confusion as she looked around them all.

 _"Redfield..."_ Taylor mumbled, frowning as a thought niggled at the back of his mind again, shutting away from Jake as he began to rummage in his pocket.

"Maybe we did something wrong..?" Zahra suggested, shaking her head and flapping her arms to her side loudly, as Taylor pulled out the small book Ximaedra had given him and flipped it open cautiously.

"That can't be... can it?" Quinn asked, as Taylor paled, reading through the first page of the small book quickly.

"No. We did it all right." He said distractedly, swallowing heavily as he glanced up from the book to look at his friends solemnly. 

"I thought so too." Zahra said quickly, frowning as she folded her arms over her chest. "But if it wasn't a mistake our end, then what? You think the old crone got it wrong? Misremembered the spell?" 

Taylor shook his head, looking over at Zahra sadly. "No. I think Ximaedra gave us the ritual, just as she and her friends did it back then..." He said, as he held up the book for his friends to see, his eyes searching their faces; until he found the one he desired. "It didn't work, because _we_ were different. We had a different set of rules. And, also because, there were a few key facts we had wrong..."

"Like what?" Quinn asked, distracting him as hw glanced toward her briefly.

"I don't know... But, I do know one thing now. Mr. Red, wasn't Redfield." He said, turning his attention away again, as the others frowned at him.

"What in blazes are you wittering about, Taylor?" Aleister demanded, shifting his weight uneasily, as Taylor moved forward and offered him the little book Ximaedra had given him before her death.

"It's all in her own hand..." He said quietly, as Aleister glanced at him suspiciously, before snatching the book from his hands to examine for himself. "Douglas Redfield became the first to fully bond with The Power, back in the eighteen hundreds. Others had too, in part, before... But he was the first who gave his whole self to it, destroyed himself; in the search for power. But then, in April nineteen ninety six... Just months after the birth of his son-"

"This cannot be..." Aleister declared, scowling at the page with furious intent as if the words there mocked him. "This... this is _preposterous!"_ He insisted, shaking his head as his cheeks flared with pink, embarrassment and fury combined.

"Aleister, I'm so sorry..." Taylor said, shaking his head as he bit his lip guiltily. "But Ximaedra wouldn't lie to us. She wanted us to stop him..." 

"Taylor, what the hells goin' on, exactly?" Rebecca demanded, exchanging an uncertain glance with her brother, before looking back at Taylor in confusion.

"He's saying that Redfield... _Ahem,_ fused... with someone else." Aleister said awkwardly, lowering the book and thrusting it towards his friends. "My father, Everett Rourke." He sneered, shaking his head in disgust as he took a deep breath and stepped away.

"And that's not all..." Taylor said, his face twisting with guilt as his friends gasped in shock, his eyes locked onto Aleister; as his pale friend scrubbed his hand over his jaw and turned away to try and process what he'd learnt. "According to Ximaedra... Estela is Aleister's _sister."_

 _"What?!"_ Quinn choked, coughing as she patted her chest, her eyes wide as she turned to Aleister. "Oh, Aleist-"

"Save me your pity." He said stiffly, clearing his throat before taking a deep breath, turning back to them all with a sigh. "It's... a surprise, yes. But it certainly explains a few things."

"Like why her Mom had such a tendency to ride ya ass?" Rebecca asked, flipping through the pages of the book quickly, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "This reads like a journal almost... Mrs. Montoya knew everythin'! She was part of the cult, and she tried to talk him out of it with Ximaedra... But Rourke wouldn't listen. Said the power 'called to him'." Rebecca explained, as Taylor turned away, a shudder passing over his spine.

"I guess we know why Estela was always so furious with us..." Quinn said, her face falling as she held her arms behind her back, shaking her head despondently. "I wonder how long she's known..." 

"Not long." Taylor said quietly, clearing his throat as he forced aside his discomfort. "She had a fight with her Mom a while ago... She was yelling at her, about being a liar. I don't think she knew anything about all this til earlier this year." He guessed, scratching his elbow distractedly.

"Oh my god..." Quinn gasped, turning back to Aleister with wide eyes. _"Estela!_ She-" she fell silent abruptly, as Aleister's expression twisted with fury, grief and confusion. "Aleister... I'm so sorry." She said, unconsciously echoing Taylors sentiments about the discovery, as she folded the taller, pale boy into her arms.

"Look, none of this changes _anything!"_ Raj suddenly exploded, glaring at them all in frustration. "Al, dude, I'm sorry your dads a psycho shadow monster who's trying to kill us; but what the hell difference does it really make to you at this point?!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide as Aleister stared blankly at the far wall. "All this means, is we have _two_ people to save right now... And we're not doing that, standing around here."

Aleister drew in a deep breath, the only sound amid the tense silence which hung over the group after Raj's outburst. "Raj is correct." He said at last, clearing his throat as he carefully extracted himself from Quinn's embrace. "However, we still have no plan for how to stop this... Or to rescue our friends."

"Look, I dunno why Redfield-" Raj paused, wincing and clearing his throat before pushing on. "Rourke... _Whatever;_ I don't know why they're loose, any more than you guys... But that doesn't matter right now. 'One crisis at a time', remember? And right now... The crisis is; Sean and Diego, have been kidnapped by creepy, murderous psycho-hounds." He said, looking around the group determinedly. "We need to go after them. _All of us."_ He said, glancing at Aleister guiltily. "We can sort... everything else out, later."

"We could all be _dead_ later, if we do not figure out why this is happening!" Aleister snapped, scowling as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"You _both_ need to calm down." Taylor said quietly, looking between them both stoically as they rounded on him.

"What the _hell_ are you, dude, a marriage counsellor?" Raj snorted, folding his arms over his chest and frowning at Taylor in frustration.

"No, Taylor is... correct." Aleister conceded, sighing as he lowered his gaze. "This isn't helping. My... personal feelings, can wait for later consideration; after, we've fixed this mess." He said, clearing his throat pointedly.

Raj sighed, running a hand through his hair, before tying it up in bun on his head, and pulling a beanie hat over it. "Yeah... Alright." He said, peeking at Aleister apologetically.

Jake coughed, glancing around the group briefly. "Look, Goof Troop, I hate to interrupt and all, but... Can I get a word with Taylor real quick?" He asked, lowering his eyes to the bandage he was attempting to apply to his wound, as the group scattered to give them some privacy.

Taylors shoulders slumped, and he walked back to the desk where Jake was sat, sitting beside him and eyeing him worriedly. "What is it?" He asked, biting his lip as he curled his hand into a ball, trying to restrain himself from reaching for Jake's hand while he patched himself up.

"Nothin'." Jake snorted, throwing Taylor a smirk and a cocky wink, before looking back at his bandage. "Just seemed like that whole drama thing was goin' nowhere, so I figured I'd break things up for ya."

Taylor laughed quietly, leaning forward to nudge Jake gently. "My hero, how perceptive of you..." He hummed, sighing as he leaned his forehead carefully to Jake's shoulder.

"I try." Jake hummed quietly, his head turning so he could press his lips to Taylors brow, briefly allowing them both some level of comfort.

Finally Taylor raised his head, his deep eyes swimming with concern. "How's your wound?" He asked, glancing down and tentatively reaching for Jake's side, before pausing and drawing his hand away again.

"It'll be fine." Jake said dismissively, averting his eyes from Taylors as he busied his hands with bandaging. "I just need a minute to get this cleaned up, and then I'm good to go." He said, glancing up at Taylor thoughtfully. "But listen, while I'm doin' this... Maybe ya oughtta talk to ya friends, ya know; one on one..?" He suggested, nodding towards where the rest of the group had scattered throughout the lobby. "Ya little gangs lookin' pretty ragged. If ya got a 'once more unto the breach' tucked up ya sleeve, now might be a good time to bust it out." He said, pausing as he looked back at Taylor, his clear eyes clouding with regret. "Besides... Ya might not get another chance."

 _"None_ of them are dying tonight." Taylor said firmly, swallowing thickly as he looked around the lobby. "I _promise_ you that." He said, about to take a step away, when Jake's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist tightly.

"I ain't hearin' a reassurin' promise about _you_ in there, Boy Scout." Jake said, his eyes hardening in suspicion.

Taylor huffed, a facsimile of a smile spreading across his face as he moved closer to the pilot and gently cupped his cheek. He gazed at Jake for a long pause, their eyes locked intently, before he leaned in and brushed his lips over Jake's tenderly. "I promise." He whispered against the pilots lips, before giving in and sealing his mouth to Jake's in a deeper kiss. When he finally drew back again, Jake held onto his wrist for another heartbeat, before finally letting go and allowing Taylor to check on his friends.

Taylor reluctantly turned away, looking around the lobby again to spot Aleister standing in front of a soda machine, angrily pressing the coin return button. "Come on, you ridiculous..."

"Hey," Taylor said quietly, startling his pale friend and causing him to jump slightly. "Something wrong? Besides... the obvious, I mean." He stammered quickly, wincing at the inconsiderate question.

"Please spare me your pity or sympathy." Aleister said, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "I do _not_ wish to discuss my... unfortunate connection to the monster attempting to murder us all."

Taylor glanced down at his feet, before peeking up cautiously. "You sure?" He asked, biting the inside of his cheek as Aleister's jaw locked. "I just, I mean, if you need a little time, or somethin-"

"Taylor... it's quite alright." Aleister said quietly, his expression softening under Taylors genuine concern. "I appreciate your support, but; as much as it pains me to admit it... Raj was correct. This changes nothing." 

 _"What?!"_ Taylor yelped, his eyes widening in surprise. "How can you _say_ that?! You've spent years wondering what happened to your dad, spent so much on investigations-"

"Indeed, apparently all for naught, considering nothing ever came to light from them." Aleister sneered, shaking his head as he looked at his feet thoughtfully. "Truth be told... My father means little to me, at this point. His disappearance was something I felt compelled to examine and investigate certainly, but, it was as much for my aunts sake as my own. I... I've found something more important than the comfort and _love_ of an absentee parent, which I grew up desiring." He admitted, looking up with a chuckle as Taylor frowned uncomprehendingly. "I... I've found a family of my own. One which, despite falling out of sorts with me for a decade, has treated me with naught but affection and kindness since we came back together." He explained, eyeing Taylor assessingly. "Since you brought us back together... I don't believe I ever thanked you for that."

"Oh, uh... I didn't, I mean, I-" Taylor fidgeted awkwardly, his cheeks burning as he coughed and averted his eyes. "... You're welcome?" He said uncertainly, biting his lip as he peeked at Aleister and smiled shyly.

"No need to be modest, Taylor. I am confident everyone here feels similarly." Aleister drawled fondly, rolling his eyes as he turned back to the soda machine with an irritated scowl.

 _"Ahem..._ So, uh, is there a reason you're giving that drinks machine the death glare?" Taylor asked curiously, unsubtly changing the subject as he gestured to the soda machine before them.

"Hmm? Oh, yes." Aleister replied, his scowl returning as he turned back to the machine. "This _infernal contraption_ ate my money, but has not rewarded me with my beverage of choice." He explained, sneering as he jabbed the coin return button again. "And it also refused to return my change!" He snarled accusingly, kicking the machine for good measure.

"Whoa, boy!" Taylor warned, eyeing the soda machine dubiously, as Aleister reluctantly stepped back. "Being you and all, I'm guessing you know just how many people get crushed by vending machines when they get too physical with them?" 

Aleister fidgeted a moment, before glancing at Taylor with a guarded expression. "An average of two per year..." He admitted after a long pause, his cheeks touched with pink as he glanced away again.

"I _knew_ it... I _knew_ you'd know that." Taylor huffed, unable to keep the tony flicker of a grin from his face, as Aleister closed his eyes and rested his forehead to the machine with a sigh.

"I had thought all of this nonsense was over with, Taylor." The pale boy sighed, as Taylor flinched and looked down at the ground, biting his lip guiltily. "I had thought us the victor's, successful vanquishers of the evil which had stalked us all... That everything might finally return to normal."

Taylor hummed as he looked up at Aleister, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Maybe it can't." He said simply, startling Aleister into jerking his head away from the vending machine.

"Is this your contrived idea of comfort?" He asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Your own, confounding way of making me feel better?" 

"Aleister, monsters just attacked the school; in the middle of homecoming... controlled by the few remnants of your father, who's mostly been absorbed by a shadow monster with magic powers." Taylor said, pausing to suck in a deep breath and cocking a brow at the pale boy. "The 'back to normal' ship has sailed, my friend." Aleister grimaced, clearly fighting back tears of frustration as he turned and leaned his back to the vending machine, as he slowly slid to the floor. Taylor paused, biting his lip uncertainly, before kneeling beside his friend and placing his hand on Aleister's knee. "But, we're still here." He said, squeezing Aleister's knee gently. "And, we can still make it through this... Okay, so maybe things can't go back to how they were; but we can figure it out as we go..."

Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly, before rubbing his palms across his eyes. "How can you sound so, ridiculously confident?" He finally asked, raising a brow as he glanced over at Taylor. "Not to mention, disgustingly optimistic."

Taylor shrugged his shoulders, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I sound confident because, you make me feel strong." He said, snickering as Aleister's head flopped towards him in an amusingly undignified motion. "You all mean so much to me..."

His pale friends eyes softened, a quiet snort escaping him. _"Do_ we now?" He asked, the vending machine lighting his face a pale blue as he slid his hand into Taylors.

"Scout's honour." Taylor huffed, flashing the pale boy a brief grin and raising his brow slightly. "And... it would be very good to hear something similarly encouraging about how I'm returning the favour here. Ya know, like 'Taylor, you're so cool, you always make me feel like a superhero!' Or, ya know, something more in your own words..."

Aleister snorted, the sound distinctly undignified and startling a surprised laugh from Taylor. "You're a nonsensical _idiot,_ but none the less; I find myself grateful for your friendship, Taylor." The pale boy sighed, drawing Taylors hand closet and skimming his lips over the inside of his wrist, as Taylor blushed a deep shade of red. "You are certainly a... stubbornly determined leader, against the rising forces of darkness we find ourselves amidst." He said, squeezing Taylors hand briefly in reassurance, before pushing himself back to his feet with an elegant brush of his trousers.

"Um... thanks?" Taylor said, frowning as he tried to work out if his friend had complimented or insulted him. "So, feeling better?" He asked, shaking his head and offering a smile he hoped was convincing.

"Yes, I believe so." Aleister drawled, clearing his throat as he looked around the lobby at their scattered friends curiously. "So, what's next in your master plan?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest, as his gaze returned to Taylor.

"Honestly, I just wanna go check up on Jake, probably make out with him a little and then call it a night." Taylor huffed, sighing wearily as Aleister chuckled and shook his head. "But, in the best interest of everyone present... Jake _included,_ given his injury... I should probably just, check on the others." He added awkwardly, flushing at his confession.

"As good a plan as any." Aleister concurred, ripping his head in agreement. "With the opportunity to clear our heads of negativity, we stand a better chance of-" he fell silent at the sudden loud clunk from the vending machine, followed by a brief jingling. He turned with raised brows, as Taylor laughed, to find that the machine had spit out both his drink and his change. "Hmm, well, would you look at that?"

"See?" Taylor snickered, covering his hand with his mouth to hide his growing grin. "Things aren't so doom and gloom after all..." He said, patting his friend on the shoulder, before turning away with a wink. "Enjoy!" He called back to the pale boy, as he walked towards where Zahra was sat with her back to the wall; a stack of magazines from the waiting room before her. Taylor raised a brow, and took a seat beside her. "So... What are we doing?" He asked, nudging her shoulder gently.

"Nothing." Zahra said flatly, tearing a page out of a magazine and balling it up, before tossing it at a nearby trashcan, where it landed amid a pile of wadded up paper.

"This nothing business seems fun." Taylor huffed, wrapping his arms around his knees and trying to catch his friends eye. "You want some company?"

"Whatever." Zahra sighed, scowling as Taylor scooted closer to her side. "Not like I can stop you, I guess." She added, as she tore another page free.

"Do... you wanna talk?" Taylor asked, tentatively reaching for his own magazine to start tearing pages out.

"Not really." Zahra scoffed, rolling her eyes as she tossed another wad of paper and missed again. She reached to tear another page free, but paused instead, glancing at Taylor uncertainly. "Yeah... kind of."

"C'mon, Snape... What's the matter?" Taylor asked gently, as Zahra turned her face to the ceiling and swallowed thickly. 

"I'm just... _sick_ of this." She growled, her hands bunching into fists at her sides. "I'm sick of running around. I'm sick of feeling..." She began, trailing off as she shook her head and lowered her eyes to her lap, her Mohawk hiding her face from Taylors view.

"... Scared?" He offered softly, his brow furrowing in concern, as he tried to lean forward and see his friend.

Zahra growled, sitting back again as she turned to him with an irritated scowl. " _I'm not sc-_ " she began furiously, but her words caught in her throat. She shuddered, her brow furrowing, as she turned her gaze back to her lap. "It's more... _helpless._ I can't handle being so helpless." She admitted quietly.

"Zahra, please, you're nowhere _near_ helpless." Taylor scoffed, rolling his eyes and budging her knee playfully.

Zahra sighed, unmoved by Taylors attempt to cheer her. "Sure feels that way." She drawled, as Taylor frowned and reconsidered his answer. 

 _"Feeling_ helpless, and _being_ helpless; aren't the same thing, ya know..." He said, reaching over to take her hand gently, drawing it into his lap and squeezing gently.

 _"Pfft,"_ Zahra snorted, looking over at him with an unamused smirk. "You read that off a fortune cookie?" She sneered, shaking her head as she turned away again.

"Zahra, listen to me..." Taylor said determinedly, holding onto her hand tightly when she tried to tug it away. He shifted his weight, scooting away from the wall and shuffling around to sit opposite her, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You are the _least_ helpless person, I have ever known. You got that?"

"Sure," she said dismissively, shifting her weight uncomfortably as a rosy tinge of colour began to stain her cheeks. "If you say so..."

"I _do_ say so." Taylor said smugly, grinning as he winked at Zahra and caused her to snort in amusement. "Zahra, you're _so_ strong; half the time I can't even believe it. You're like a snarky, goth superhero." He said, grinning proudly. 

Zahra let out a long, low groan. "Come on, Taylor, don't make me cry... _or_ smile." She added with a forlorn sigh.

"We're gonna get through this." Taylor assured her, squeezing her hand tightly. "You are gonna get through this. Because _you,_ are a _badass."_

Zahra finally smiled, rubbing her brow tiredly as she rolled her eyes at Taylors determination and persistence. "Okay... whatever you say."

 _"Say_ it..." Taylor teased, smirking as he poked her in the shoulder. "Say; _I'm a badass_ '." He said slowly, grinning as Zahra scowled at him.

"I am not saying that." She sneered, yanking her hand free and nudging him with her knee. "You sound like a damn self help book." She said scathingly, shuddering in disgust.

"Come on, Snape!" Taylor groaned, his brow creasing in sad determination. "Just _say it_!" He pleaded, his hands raised together before his chest as he pouted at her.

"Urgh, fine..." She finally relenred, sighing and rolling her eyes as she grimaced in irritation. "I'm a _badass..._ You feel better now?" "She snarked petulantly.

"Do _you..?"_ Taylor asked, a smug and knowing smirk on his face as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.

Zahra scowled at him, though the expression slowly melted into a vaguely chagrined, reluctant grin. "... a little, I guess." She admitted, grimacing as she covered her cheeks with her hands to hide the evidence of her blush.

"So... You gonna stop torturong those magazines? Maybe go do some more awkward necking with Aleister..?" Taylor teased, snickering when Zahra thumped him in the arm, hard.

She shook her head, looking over at Aleister with a thoughtful expression. "I suppose its not your worst idea ever..." She admitted, glancing at him slyly when he choked in surprise. "Help me up first?"

Taylor sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes as he pushed to his feet. He gave her his hand and tugged her to her feet, and his eyes widened in surprise when she immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly. "That was pretty sneaky." He huffed, folding his arms around her in return. 

"You complaining?" Zahra snarked, hiding her face over his shoulder as Taylor grinned and held her tightly while she was willing to allow it.

 _"Pfft,_ not likely." Taylor scoffed, his arms tightening briefly around her waist. "Don't know if I'll ever get another chance to hug you if I do that." He snickered, kissing Zahra's cheek softly.

"Thanks, Taylor..." She mumbled, holding on a moment later, before clearing her throat and stepping away, smoothing her dress carefully. "But seriously, if you ever tell anyone I just did that; I will... I'll... I-" she paused, her cheeks stained dark by her blush, as Taylor grinned knowingly. "It'll be _bad._ So bad, you'll... Look, just _shut up_ and never speak of it again, okay?" She muttered, before stomping away from him.

Taylor snickered to himself, amused by his friends embarrassment. He glanced toward Jake, still tending himself by the reception desk, and noticed Rebecca behind it; frantically rooting around and cursing to herself. "C'mon, _c'mon..!"_ She growled in frustration, just as Taylor walked up to the desk.

"Uh, Becca..?" He asked, raising a brow curiously as she ignored him and dove into another stack of papers. "What are you doing?" 

"Lookin' for a charger!" She bit out, barely glancing at him in her obsessive searching. "I lost my purse, and my phone is dead! I... I have to text my Mom!" She said, her face crumpling with guilt. "What if she got _hurt?_ What if she's _dead?_ What if-"

"Hey, brat, calm down." Jake sighed, rolling his eyes as he grimaced at his still bleeding wound. "Taylor will help ya look." He said, looking over at Taylor pleadingly. "Boy Scout, she hasn't looked in these drawers yet, can ya check 'em for her? While she searches over there? I'm gonna go find some more gauze..." He said, walking away with a pained wince, and the first hint of a limp.

Taylor bit his lip and gazed after Jake worriedly, before sighing and moving around the desk to do as he'd been asked.  Between them, he and Rebecca divided up the rest of the desk, and set about tearing it apart; searching for an elusive charger. After several minutes of searching in terse silence, Taylor finally paused, turning to Rebecca abruptly. "You know everything's gonna be okay, right?"

 _"No,_ Taylor, I do _not_ know that." Rebecca replied in a clipped tone, scowling as Taylor rolled his eyes and rifled through more stacks of patient notes. "I am _freaking out right now_! My brother is hurt, and my Mom-"

"Well, you can stop freaking out for a second; because I just found a charger!" Taylor interrupted triumphantly, brandishing the elusive item before her face.

"Oh, thank god!" Rebecca cried, snatching it from his hand, plugging her phone in and staring at the empty battery icon. "C'mon, c'mon, _c'mon..."_ She chanted under her breath, worrying her nail between her teeth. "Yes!" She cried suddenly, as her screen lit up. She narrowed her eyes, swiping to her texts as her gaze flicked back and forth rapidly.  At last, she covered her mouth with her hand, and sagged against the desk with a sob. "She's okay..." Rebecca sighed, at Taylors concerned look. "Everyone at the school is okay..." 

"Hey, come here." Taylor said, as she sniffed and tried to contain her relief. He pulled Rebecca into a tight hug, allowing her to sob against his shoulder.

"I can't _take_ this anymore, Taylor!" She choked, her voice muffled by his suit jacket. _"Sean's_ gone, _Diego's_ gone... and _everythin'_ we do to fix this mess, just ends up makin' things _worse!"_ She cried, her shoulders shaking desperately.

Taylor shushed her gently, allowing her a few more minutes to release her pent up emotions. "Rebecca, look at me." He finally said softly, taking her face in his hands and forcing her to look up at him. "We'll make it through this." He said confidently, ignoring the twisting sensation in his gut which called him a liar.

"But, how do ya _know_ that?!" Rebecca demanded, her hands clutching at his jacket lapels desperately, staring up at him intently.

"Because we're strong." He said simply, smiling as reassuringly as he could. _"You're_ strong." He corrected, grinning widely as he bumped his fist to her jaw playfully.

"But what if Redfield-" Rebecca paused, glancing over at Aleister and shivering briefly at the revelation they'd all shared. "What if _he's_ stronger..?" She asked, looking back at Taylor imploringly.

" _He's not_." Taylor said firmly, his expression hardening as his jaw clenched tightly, though his eyes noticeably turned away from Rebecca's.

"But what if-" she began again, as Taylor shook his head and turned back to her, pressing his lips to her forehead and stunning her into silence.

"He's _not."_ He said quietly, drawing back to meet Rebecca's hesitant stare with as much confidence as he could muster. Slowly, as if soaking up every ounce of bravery within herself, the redheads' expression slowly transformed from panic, to determination.

"Ya right, Taylor." She said firmly, her hands clutching his jacket lapels tightly, dragging in a long, deep breath, to steady herself. "I'm sorry..." She said, lowering her eyes and wiping his shoulder as she blushed and sniffed away the last of her tears. "I think I ruined ya outfit with my face..."

"Snot a big deal." Taylor said, chuckling when she swatted his shoulder in outrage at his awful pun. "Jake was probably gonna ruin it later anyway, with his-"

" _Oh my god, la la la la laaa_!" Rebecca cried, slamming her hands over her ears and taking a step back from him with a scowl. "I do _not_ need to hear about that!" She exclaimed, shaking her head as if trying to discard s particularly horrific image. "Ya gross, Taylor, totally... just... _gross!"_

Taylor snickered, grinning as Jake returned to the lobby with a raised brow, his eyes wandering over his sister, before turning expectantly to Taylor. "Do I even wanna _know_ what ya said to her?" He asked, sitting himself back on his original spot as he tended to himself.

"I didn't do a thing, this is all _her_  being a pervert." Taylor snorted, strolling over to lean on the desk near Jake with an innocent smile. "All I did was say you were probably gonna ruin my suit later, and she cut me off before I could say anything more."

Jake huffed an amused laugh, before wincing in pain as his side pulled at the motion. "Ya mean ya didn't tell her about how I almost ruined it _before_ homecomin'? I mean, it was a close thing. I nearly just ripped it right off-"

"Urgh, gross, gross, _gross!"_ Rebecca chanted, shaking her head in exaggerated disgust. "There are some things a girl ain't supposed to know about her brother and best friend, Jake!" She insisted, grabbing a nearby sticky pad and tossing it at her brothers head.

"Heh, nice try." Jake scoffed, snatching the projectile out of the air quickly, though he grimaced when the movement aggravated his injured side. "But ya ain't gettin' the drop on me twice, ya 'lil brat."

Taylor smiled as he watched the pair bicker, his heart swelling with affection for them both. "So," he said finally, interrupting them before they started launching larger projectiles than the sticky pad at each other. "Are you okay now?"

"Pfft, not even close." Rebecca snarked, folding her arms over her chest petulantly. "But... I ain't havin' a panic attack anymore, if that's what ya mean." She said, sighing as she ran a hand over the elaborate braid she'd worn in her hair. "I'm just gonna text my Mom back real quick, then I'll be ready to go."

"Sure thing. We'll be here." Taylor said, waving briefly as she moved back to her phone. "I guess I better check on the others too." He sighed, standing and moving away from the desk reluctantly, squeezing Jake's shoulder briefly as he passed, and yelping when the pilot swatted him on the ass. _"Hey!"_ He cried, blushing furiously as he glanced back to see Jake wink at him, before jerking his chin towards the front doors; where Quinn was sitting quietly in a chair, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Quinn..? Are you okay?" He asked as he approached, frowning as he pushed aside thoughts of Jake and the feel of his hands on him, instead focusing on his dejected friend.

"No." She said quietly, sighing as he slowly crouched before her. "Nothing is okay." She said, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, smearing mascara similarly to how Michelle had back at the school.

Taylor squeezed her knee gently, before gesturing to the empty seat beside her. "Can I sit?" He asked, shifting his weight to the chair, as she nodded sadly. Slowly, Quinn turned towards him, her crystalline eyes clouded by fear.

"Taylor..." She began, hesitating as she took a deep breath. "Do you think we're gonna die?" She asked quietly, frowning when Taylor snorted and immediately began to shake his head.

"Not if I have anything to bloody well do with it." He scoffed, scowling at the opposite side of the lobby, as his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"But what if you _don't?"_ Quinn pressed determinedly, her small hand slipping over his own and squeezing, both giving and seeking comfort.

"Quinn; I will _not_ let any of you die." He said firmly, turning to look at her with powerfully determined gaze. "I refuse to even consider it. I might need a little help from everyone else, but even without it... I _won't_ let you die." He promised.

Quinn met his determined gaze for a long pause, before sighing and turning away, as she drew her knees up to her chest. "I was prepared to die... I lived my whole life, expecting it, knowing it was coming. But then-" she paused, swallowing thickly as she wiped her eyes on her dress. "All I wanted was this one night, Taylor. One night to feel truly normal, to not be _afraid_ of my illness coming back, of Mr. Red, of... of _everything."_ She choked, as Taylor wrapped his arm around her shoulders gently. "But I couldn't even have that. Thanks to Mr. Red." She scoffed, shaking her head as she held herself tightly in a ball, leaning heavily against Taylors side. "Who am I kidding..? I barely had that even without _him."_

"Quinn..." Taylor said softly, leaning his cheek to her head gently. "C'mon, what's that even supposed to mean, really?" He asked, as Quinn rolled her eyes and gave him a withering glare. "Oh... You mean all that with Michelle at homecoming? You were really gonna tell her to take a hike, weren't you?" He said, tilting his head curiously.

"I was..." Quinn said, nodding slowly. "But you told me not to... and now, I can't help but think you were right." She admitted, sighing as she picked at her dress where it was stretched over her knees. "If she _can_ change, if she _can_ get better... Be more like who she used to be..."

"You know its not your job to fix everyone, right?" Taylor huffed, tucking random stray hairs back onto place on Quinn's fancy style. "That wasn't why I told you not to give up on her... Look," he said, turning and capturing Quinn's hands in his own. "You've faced someone who has been tormenting you for years, you've told her off; and you've shut down her toxicity in your relationship; telling her firmly that this is her _last,_ last chance." He said, smiling as she blinked up at him and bit her lip. "After all of that, what's the worst that Mr. Red can throw at you? Some plant monsters? Maybe a rock dude? C'mon, that's nothin'!"

"I guess, when you put it like that!" Quinn giggled, finally breaking our in a radiant smile. She sighed, leaning against his shoulder briefly, before she began to laugh quietly.

"What?" Taylor asked defensively, wiping his face to make sure he didn't have anything smeared across it.

"I was just imagining that Mr. Red trying to attend High School..." Quinn giggled, finally unfolding in her chair and lowering her feet to the floor, as she looked up at Taylor with a fond grin.

"Heh, yeah!" Taylor snickered, grinning back at her, as he nudged her shoulder conspiratorially. "Let _him_ get shoved in a locker, and see of he still has the energy to haunt us _then!"_  

Quinn laughed at the image, before sighing as she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I know everyone always says, these are the best years of our loves, but..." She said, as Taylor frowned briefly, not sure why anyone would say such a blatant lie, before shrugging it off as one of the many 'parent things' which he didn't understand. "Honestly, I really hate high school. I can't wait for it to be over." She said, not noticing Taylors momentary lapse beside her.

"So, what do you think you're gonna do after?" He asked, raising a brow at her with a knowing grin.

"College." She said easily, blushing slightly despite her determined answer. "You?" She asked, tilting her head and frowning at him curiously.

"Uh, I don't know." Taylor admitted awkwardly, glancing away as he scratched the back of his neck. "I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I guess I _could_ go to college..." He said, glancing over at Jake and blushing as he bit his lip. "But, uh, it might be nice to take some time off too..." He said, clearing his throat as he tore his eyes away from Jake and looked back at Quinn.

"Well, if you _do_ go... What do you think you'll major in?" Quinn asked, hiding a giggle behind her hand, as she glanced over at Jake knowingly.

"I have no idea." Taylor huffed, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "Hopefully it doesn't depend on my grades from _this_ year too much; else I will be majoring in janitorial work..." He snorted, as Quinn quickly ducked her head to hide a giggle. "What about you?" He asked, nudging her shoulder gently.

"Something art related..." She said thoughtfully, her gaze turning distant as she smiled happily. "Now I'm actually able to hold a pencil or paintbrush again, I've been working on a lot of different styles to see which one I enjoy the most... I'm hoping to maybe get into comic design or, something along those lines."

"Awesome..." Taylor hummed appreciatively, nodding his head as he imagined a work made by Quinn, his amusement fading slightly as he imagined how much Diego would no doubt enjoy it. "Uh, what'd it be about?" He asked, clearing his throat uneasily.

"Anything but horrors, thrillers or gore fests!" Quinn laughed, as Taylor snorted and grinned at her affectionately. His expression softened, as he squeezed her shoulder and leaned closer.

"Hey, ya know what?" He whispered close to her ear, smiling as she turned to him curiously. "We just had a whole conversation about the future... and neither one of us said; _if we survive_." 

Quinn hissed at him, quickly glancing around with a giggle and a wide grin. "Shhh!" She whispered back, laughter in her eyes as she looked up at him. "You'll jinx it!" She reprimanded, though it was a weak effort through her giggling.

"Seriously, Quinn... Are you feeling better?" He asked a short time later, squeezing her shoulder gently in reassurance.

"Yeah, I _really_ am." She said, drawing jim into a hug briefly, before pulling back to smile at him happily. "Thanks, Taylor!" She said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, before standing and wandering away to join the others.

With a sigh, Taylor turned towards the doors, pushing to his feet and walking over to where Raj was pacing grouchily just on the other side of the entrance. The large boy stopped as Taylor drew closer, pivoting to face in his direction. "Are we leaving yet, dude?" He asked, running a hand over his face wearily.

"I think we're almost ready... Just a few more minutes." Taylor said, raising his palms in placation when Raj grit his teeth together and turned away in frustration. "Are... you okay?" He asked hesitantly, stepping closer to his friend cautiously.

 _"Peachy."_ Raj huffed, shrugging his shoulder away from Taylors hand when he tried to reach out to him. He shook his head, returning to his pacing with a huff; from the door, to the window, to the door. He repeated the motion rapidly, almost so fast that Taylor was surprised he didn't step on his own feet in the process.

"Hey, Raj..." Taylor said gently, reaching for his friend again as he passed, and snagging his elbow. "C'mon, dude, talk to me." He said, flinching when Raj tore his arm free of his tentative hold.

"Yeah, let's all just stand around, talking about our _feelings_ for an hour..." He scoffed, shaking his head in frustration. _"That'll_ help." He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Okay... Point taken." Taylor said slowly, lowering his arm to his side as his brows rose, surprised by his friends venomous tone. He frowned, shaking his head as he turned to go, when Raj sighed and took a step towards him.

"No, hang on, dude..." He said, scratching his neck guiltily. "I'm sorry." He said, sighing heavily as he walked back to the window and leaned against it, staring put at the empty street. After a moments hesitation, Taylor followed his friend across the lobby, and cane to a stop beside him.

"Dude, what the _hells_ going on with you?" He asked quietly, frowning up at Raj worriedly, as the large boy glanced down at him uneasily.

"... Nothing. I just-" Raj paused, taking a deep breath as he looked back out at the street. "I want to get the hell outta here, and get this over with, dude!" He finally admitted in a rush, swallowing a shaky breath as he shook his head. "The sooner we finish it... the sooner everything can go back to normal." He said, his shoulders seeming to slump slightly as he finished speaking.

Taylor frowned, glancing over at the rest of his friends uncertainly. "Back to normal, how?" He asked slowly, turning back to Raj curiously. "You mean, all of us not talking..?"

"No, come on, dude... You _know_ what I mean." Raj groaned, shifting against the wall as he wrapped his arms around his chest, seeming to fold in on himself slightly. "Earlier than that, little doodlejump... Like, when we were kids. Before-"

"Raj... things will never be like that again. They can't." Taylor said quietly, shaking his head reluctantly. "Someone died... and whatever happens with us and Mr. Red... it won't bring them back. Some wounds _don't_ heal." He said, lowering his eyes to where he had subconsciously begun to stroke his wrist, while Raj pointedly averted his gaze. "They just become scars." He said bitterly, swallowing heavily to keep the bile from rising in his throat.

Raj slumped against the window, his breath fogging the glass and obscuring his reflection. "Yeah, yeah. I heard it all before, dude." Raj sighed, staring out through the window vacantly. "They're _gone..._ and there's nothing we can do about it." He sneered scathingly, his expression clouding as his hands balled into tight fists. "It's just... I dunno, dude. I can't get it out of my head." He said, swallowing heavily as he narrowed his eyes and stared intently out the window. "How it's not right, it's not _fair!_ They... they didn't deserve that."

"None of us _deserved_ it, Raj..." Taylor said quietly, lowering his eyes to the floor and trying hard to hold back the tide of guilt which tried to consume him. 

"Maybe we did." Raj countered roughly, startling Taylor to look up at him in surprise. "Maybe we should have done more to stop it." Pausing to rub at his eyes tiredly. "Maybe it _should_ have been me..."

"No." Taylor said sharply, his immediate denial causing Raj to blink in surprise. "No, it was never supposed to be _you."_ He said, turning away as his stomach turned hollow, his heart clenching painfully as he stared through the open entrance doors. _"You_ weren't the one who caused all this, who led _your friends_ into that _godforsaken_ place, who got _your best friend killed_ , who-"

"Dude, what the..?! Chill, little doodlejump, I didn't mean to... I was just-" Raj stammered, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylors vacabt and cold expression uneasily.

"Raj..." Taylor said, turning towards his friend sharply. "Shut up. It's hug time." He said, quickly pulling the large boy into a hug and cutting him off mid sentence, choking into a surprised sob. "Listen up, ya idjit." He whispered fiercely in Raj's ear, staring over his shoulder determinedly. "We are _going_ to get past what happened, and we are _going_ to survive this. All of us. _Together._ Do you hear me?" He sais firmly, squeezing Raj's shoulder in emphasis of his words.

Raj sniffed, slowly raising his arms around Taylor to return his hug. "Yeah..." He said, his voice thick with the heavy emotions weighing on him. "Yeah, I hear you..." He said, sniffing again as he pulled away and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I think... I'd like to be alone for a little bit." He said quietly, offering Taylor a watery smile which didn't quite meet his eyes. "But-" he said suddenly, his hand shooting out to catch Taylors arm, as he turned to leave Raj in peace. "Thanks for coming over here, Taylor... And, for putting up with me."

"I don't 'put up' with you, Raj..." Taylor said, frowning as he bumped his fist to Raj's shoulder. "You're my _friend._ I _care_ about you... You'll, uh, you'll understand that better when you can read your letter tomorrow." He said, glancing away as he scrubbed the toe of his shoe against the back of his trousers.

"... I know." Raj said, nodding his head slowly as he stepped back, his gaze conflicted between joy and grief. "Same here, dude." He added, before he resumed his restless pacing; as Taylor shook his head and walked away with a sigh.

Suddenly Taylors phone began to buzz, and he frowned as he reached into his pocket. "Who the hell is texting me _right now_?" He wondered aloud, glancing around the lobby with a small frown. "Everyone is her- oh my _god!_ Its from _Sean!"_ He gasped, almost dropping his phone on his shock. His friends snapped to attention at the sound of his name, rushing over as Taylor opened the text.

 **Help me**. Sean pleaded, and Taylor winced as he recalled the desperate tone with which he'd called to him; his face contorted with pain and fear, as he was taken from them.

 **Oh my god, Sean! Where the hell are you?**! He quickly replied, as Quinn settled a reassuring hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently in both concern and reassurance.

 **I'm hiding near the ruins**. Sean text back, and Taylor couldn't quite repress his shiver of horror, as his blood turned cold **. I got away from those things, but they're everywhere.**

 **Are you okay?** Taylor asked, shaking off his discomfort as he tried to focus on his friend. He tapped his foot against the floor as he waited, biting his lip in nervous anticipation of Sean's reply.

 **Please, you have to help me**. Sean pleaded, ignoring Taylors question through what Taylor assumed was either fear or pain. **Hurry.** He added, and Taylor felt his heart lurch fearfully, wondering if he were having to dodge and hide from the monsters which had stolen him away. **And bring everyone**.

Taylor felt his brow crease, staring at his friends final message for a long moment, before finally looking up to see everyone had been reading over his shoulder. "Well." Zahra said, flipping her Mohawk over her shoulder. _"That's_ definitely a trap."

"Seriously?" Rebecca sighed, running her brow wearily as she shook her head. "How _dumb_ does Redfield think we are? I mean, we ain't little kids anymore..." 

"It doesn't matter." Raj said firmly, swallowing hard as the group turned towards him. "We don't have a choice, dudes..." He added, scratching his arm distractedly. "But... at least we know what we're walking into."

"As much as it pains me to admit it..." Aleister sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly. "Raj is correct." He said, just as Jake slid off the desk and pulled on his jacket a few feet away.

"Okay." He said, wincing briefly as he pressed his jacket against his side. "Lets roll." He said, walking over to join them.

"Roll where?" Rebecca asked, her eyes slowly widening in realisation. "Oh no, _you're_ not goin' anywhere!" She insisted, scowling as she jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

"Says who?" Jake scoffed, glaring back at his sister determinedly, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

 _"Me."_ Rebecca sneered, folding her arms over her chest determinedly. "Ya too hurt, Jake. Ya stayin' right here." She said, her eyes glittering with determination.

"The _hell_ I am!" Jake scoffed, frustration curling his face into a furious snarl. "I ain't lettin' ya set a damn foot outta here without me, and I'll put _anyone_ who tries on their damn ass..." He insisted, wincing when Rebecca reached out and slapped her hand to his side, causing him to groan and stagger forward a step.

"Whoa, hey!" Raj cried, catching him mid-stumble and easing him toward a nearby chair, only for Jake to shrug himself free determinedly. "C'mon, dude, don't be stupid... You're too messed up to help, and honestly?" He said, his face falling sadly as he watched Jake force himself to stand tall; blocking the entrance. "You'd probably just slow us down."

Jake growled as Raj tried to walk past him, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he held his side with one hand. "I said... it _ain't_ damn well happenin'." He said firmly, as Taylor sighed and raised his palms, slowly approaching the pilot.

"Jake..." He said, reluctantly meeting the pilots gaze, easily able to separate the pain, fear and determination in his cerulean eyes. "Just, listen to me for a second... Okay?"

"I ain't lettin' ya go without me, Boy Scout." Jake said, eyeing him suspiciously as he approached. "I ain't gonna sit back and wait again. Last time ya barely came back still breathin', and I-"

"I know... I _know,_ Jake." Taylor said quietly, as he took jakes hands in his own and slowly led him away from the exit, helping him to a seat and kneeling before it, as he encouraged Jake to sit. "But I need you to _really_ think about this. If that's how I came back when I was giving it my all, and _wasn't_ distracted... What do you think will happen, if I'm constantly worrying about you, and what Redfield might do to you?" He asked, leaning closer to the pilot as he tried to look away, capturing his cheek in his palm and forcing him to hold his gaze.

Jake grimaced, remaining silent for a long pause, as the others began to filter out of the cleared entrance slowly. "Argh, I _hate_ this..." Jake finally growled, scowling at the floor as his hand balled into a fist on his leg. "Fine... _fine."_ He sighed, his eyes welling with shame and grief as he fished in his pocket and dug out his car keys.

"Hey, where did you-" Taylor began, almost laughing at the pilots semi-guilty expression as he shifted in his seat awkwardly.

"Picked Malfoys pocket when he helped me in..." Jake admitted reluctantly, as Taylor bit his lip to contain a fond grin. "Look, just..." He sighed, closing his eyes briefly as he jangled his keys. "Just take my car and go. I'll bum around here, wait for the docs to show up... and the cops. I'll send 'em after ya."

"Jake..." Taylor said, his heart longing to stay with the pilot, as he gazed down at him with a similar longing in his clear eyes. "Are you gonna kiss me goodbye?" He asked, sniffling as he tried to fight back the onslaught of emotions which tried to overwhelm him; grief and dismay being the strongest competitors.

 _"Goodbye?"_ Jake scoffed, his gaze hardening as he slid his hand behind Taylors neck and drew him up to eye level. "Absolutely bloody _not."_ He growled, as Taylor leaned in and planted a firm kiss to the pilots lips, kissing him urgently, passionately and deeply; unable to think, to _breathe,_ past the feel of Jake's lips against his and the pilots hands on his body. When he finally pulled back, their were tears in not only his own eyes, but also Jake's. "Taylor, I ain't gonna lie, I don't understand half of this shit that's goin' on out there... But _please,_ be careful."

"I will." Taylor promised, sniffing away his years as best he could, as he knocked his forehead to Jake's. "See you soon, Top Gun..." He said, reluctantly drawing away, only for Jake to squeeze the back of his neck and hold him in place.

"Ya damn well better, else I'm gonna be comin' for ya, and I ain't gonna let no dumbass shadow monster keep me from kickin' ya ass." He said lowly, as Taylor huffed a reluctant laugh, as he tossed the car keys to Aleister over Jake's shoulder, gesturing for them all to get in ahead of him.

"I'll make you a deal..." Taylor said, brushing his hand over Jake's injured side lightly. "You keep yourself alive; and I'll keep Rebecca safe for you-"

"And _yaself."_ Jake demanded, narrowing his eyes as Taylor huffed and rolled his own. He closed the distance between them to leave the pilot with a lingering soft kiss, before pulling away and pushing to his feet.

Taylor said nothing further, but offered the pilot a small smile, as he moved away to join his friends in the car outside, where he could finally allow his facade of confidence to falter slightly, just as soon as the door was closed. "Get to my house..." He mumbled, before turning to face the window, staring at the hospital until it was stolen from his view by the growing darkness.

Upon reaching his house, Taylor and his friends piled out of Jake's car and he made sure to grab his fire axe from the back of the vehicle, before he led them across the backyard. "So, forgive me for my naiveté here but, could someone remind just what exactly our plan consists of?" Aleister finally asked, running a hand through his hair distractedly.

"Dude, do you never get tired of using really big words to say really small things?" Raj asked, scratching his ear as he frowned at the pale boy curiously.

"We go back to the ruins." Quinn said determinedly, her eyes locked onto the woods, as they drew steadily closer.

"We rescue Sean, and Diego." Rebecca added, her hand lacing together with Quinn's as they walked side by side behind Taylor.

"Kill anything that gets in our way." Zahra added dryly, idly toying with the knife she usually kept in her boot.

"Is everybody ready for this?" Taylor asked, swallowing heavily as he tried to push aside the building fears he felt concerning Jake and his friends.

"Not even remotely." Aleister snorted, shaking his head as he sighed and looked towards the trees with an expression of discomfort.

"Welp, that makes _literally all of us_." Zahra snarked, rolling her eyes as Taylor paused in the middle of hus yard, half turning towards them all. He was about to speak, when Raj clapped his hands at the back of the group.

"Lets do this." The large boy said determinedly, and Taylor nodded before facing forward again; his throat too tight to force out whatever he'd previously hoped to say. Shoulder to shoulder, he marched across the yard with his friends.

"But first..." He said suddenly, drawing to a halt and turning sharply, as he caught sight of his shed.

"Wait, Taylor, where are you _going?!"_ Quinn cried, ger eyes flying wide in surprise, as Taylor strode confidently towards his dilapidated shed.

"Just making a quick detour..." Taylor hummed, clearing his throat in an attempt to try and hide the lingering emotional turmoil he was feeling. "Ya know, to my personal armoury... slash petting zoo." He huffed, throwing open the door. As he strolled inside, Mal fluttered in his nest, while Fiddler meowed at him and batted her paw in an attempt to order him closer, while Furball merely looked up in quiet curiosity, seeming to sense Taylors sombre mood. "Don't mind me, fellas... and lady." He huffed, a small smile spreading across his face, as Fiddler first hissed, and then purred at him. "Oh hush, you little fluffball... I'm just here to collect the last of our friends."

Taylor grinned as he reached for his faithful barbed wire bat with his free hand, hefting it by the handle briefly and clicking his tongue as he admired the weapon. "Come on, Candy. It's time for round two." He said, leaning the bat against his leg for a moment. He looked up at his pole saw, smirking as he carefully lifted it off its mount and slung it onto his back by the strap. "This oughtta come in handy..."

His heart stuttered briefly, as he looked to the corner of his worktable, where the makeshift flamethrower Sean had made during the last school invasion, sat innocently discarded. _"Sean..."_ He murmured, as he snatched the lighter and spray can. "Locked and loaded, buddy... We're coming for you." He said, clearing his throat to force back his grief. He huffed in amusement as he looked down at his other hand, raising the fire axe and smirking as it gleamed in the overhead light. "And how could I possibly forget my newest friend?" He wondered aloud, hefting it over his shoulder as he picked up his bat again and drew in a deep breath to steady himself.

Taylor turned with his jaw set in determination, striding out of his shed confidently with his personal arsenal. "Wow." Raj choked upon seeing him fully armed, clearly impressed with his haul.

"Taylor..." Quinn gasped, her eyes wide as she took in his various weaponry and the determined expression on his face.

"... Holy shit." Aleister balked, staring in wide eyed disbelief at the accumulation of weapons Taylor had amassed upon himself.

"Did I just make Aleister curse?" Taylor wondered aloud, grinning despite the sickening twist of his gut. "Pretty sure, I just made Aleister curse. This night just struck the first chords of awesomeness."

 _"That_ is a _good_ look for you." Zahra said, smirking as she eyed his various weapons with unconcealed glee and desire, her fingers twitching with the urge to reach for one herself.

"Who the hell are ya, The Terminator?!" Rebecca choked, her eyes widening as she shook her head at him, while Taylor grinned at his friends various reactions.

"What can I say?" He hummed, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. "I like to face my demons, shadow creatures and vine monsters; _armed to the teeth_." He said, winking at his friends proudly. He started, turning in surprise when Furball yipped excitedly and ran out the shed after him. "Furball! What are you _doing?"_ He demanded, scowling at the blue fox irritably.

"I would hazard a guess that he wants to come along..." Aleister said, a faint smile curling his lips as the fox hopped around Taylor in a circle, before scurrying up his back to sit on his free shoulder.

"Is that safe?" Quinn asked, biting her lip worriedly as she stepped closer to Taylor and began to scratch behind the small blue foxes ear.

 _"None_ of this is safe." Zahra scoffed, scowling towards the woods briefly. "But I definitely feel better, with a magical ice fox tagging along." She said, walking uo behind Taylor and extending her hand to Furball. "Especially when he's this cool."

Taylor rolled his eyes, looking up at Furball with an unimpressed glare, as the fox preened from Quinn and Zahra's attentions on his shoulder. "You know, you're lucky you're so damn cute, or I'd already have locked you in the shed." He huffed, shaking his head as Furball licked his cheek with a cool tongue. Taylors brow rose, as he heard a quiet mewl, and he turned back to the shed to see Fiddler toddling out eagerly. "Oh, for heavens sake!" He sighed scathingly, scowling at the kitten hotly. "Not _you,_ too!" He scolded, though his furious expression was utterly unheeded by the kitten, as she wiggled her bottom and launched herself into the air, catching herself in the crook of his arm.

"Taylor, just how many animals have you actually adopted?" Aleister wondered aloud, as Rebecca walled up to Taylors other side, scratching beneath the kittens chin as she meowed happily.

"Aw, c'mon... She wants to come too!" The fiery redhead drawled, pouting at Taylor until he sighed and rolled his eyes in defeat. "Oh stop actin' so damn tough, ya know ya couldn't have said no to her."

"Oh, Taylor... That's so cute!" Quinn hummed gleefully, her crystalline eyes practically glowing with joy as she offered her finger to the little kitten, receiving a rough tongued lick for her effort. "But, we _definitely_ can't bring a kitten along. No matter how brave she is." She sighed, as Rebecca snorted and stuck her tongue out in disagreement, while Fiddler hissed and batted her finger away.

Taylor snorted, about to make a witty comment, when an excited howl rang out across the yard. He turned to sew Tetra bounding out of the woods, eagerly racing over to them. "Tetra! _There_ you are..!" He called, smiling as Furball dropped down from his shoulder and began to circle with Tetra, sniffing at each other curiously.

"Dude, I'm suddenly struck by the urge to donate to some pet sanctuary..." Raj said, scratching his chin as he shook his head, looking around the collection of strange animals in bewilderment. "You have... kind of a lot."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Taylor sighed, shaking his head forlornly, though he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "This is getting ridiculous... Next thing you know, Mal will be out here too." He huffed, before casting an eye back at the shed thoughtfully. "Actually, that's not that likely. He doesn't really like people... _We've_ only just started bonding." He hummed thoughtfully, missing the knowing looks his friends exchanged behind his back.

Fiddler seemed to vibrate in the crook of his arm, her eyes wide and her ears back as she stared at Tetra distrustfully. "Awww," Taylor cooed, his irritation fading at the kittens too adorable behaviour. "Is my big brave, killer jaguar afraid of Tetra?" He hummed, laughing when the kitten hissed at his babied tone of voice.

"Yeah, gonna be honest, dude..." Raj said, eyeing the skeletal creature dubiously. "That thing kinda freaks me out." He admitted, taking a wide step away from the creature, as it cocked its head with a curious sniff.

"Well, I'm glad he's around. We need all the help we can get... And he's way more suited to thus than either of you!" He said, throwing Furball and Fiddler withering glares briefly, before turning to his skeletal hound. "Besides, he's just a big marshmallow at heart, aren't you? Yes, you are..." He cooed fondly, scratching the creatures head affectionately, until suddenly; he froze, as the sense of being watched trickled down his spine like icy water.

Furball tensed, baring his teeth as his hackles rose, his blue fur standing on end as small snowflakes began to form in his breath. On his arm, Fiddler arched her back, hissing viciously into the trees. Taylor lowered his hand from Tetra's head, as the creatures fiery eyes blazed angrily.

"Uh, dude?" Raj asked hesitantly, eyeing the snarling and hissing band of animals surrounding Taylor uneasily. "What's going on?"

"Something's coming..." Taylor said quietly, sensing it's approach as the hairs on his arm stood on end, a shiver passing over his spine. "Everyone, get ready." He barked sharply, stepping in front of everyone, as they all turned towards the trees; only to stop dead, at the sight of a shadowy figure, standing at the edge of the woods.

"Um, everyone else is seeing this, right?!" Quinn gasped, taking a step back as she shook her head in denial, her hands rising to her mouth in horror.

"Dude..." Raj choked, his eyes wide as he stared into the tree line. "Is that... who I think it is?" He asked, having to force the words out in his shocked state.

"No, no, no, no, no..." Taylor chanted, his courage failing him as he stared into the trees in disbelief. His heart clenched tightly, his breath escaping him in a ragged rasp. "It _can't_ be..." He choked, shaking his head as if desperate ro clear the sight from his eyes; but to no avail, for despite his best efforts, the shadow remained.

 _"Mrs. Montoya_?!" Aleister choked, stepping back as he stared into the woods, his eyes wide as he scrambled back several steps in a mixture of disgust and denial.

 _"Students..."_ Mrs. Montoya rasped, her voice an eerie drawl, as her eyes glowed with a familiar fiery intensity.

"It's not her..." Aleister told himself insistently, shaking his head as he took several deep breaths to try and calm himself. "It _cannot,_ be her. Its... its impossible!"

"Mrs. Montoya..." Taylor said, his voice strained by the thick constriction of his throat. "What the hell is she doing here..?" He muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion. "She's supposed to be..." He trailed off with a gasp, choking on his own grief as realisation struck him like a lightning bolt.

"... in the hospital..." Aleister concluded, glancing at Taylor as he doubled over, clearly struggling with the weight of his sudden epiphany.

Mrs. Montoya laughed icily, her glowing eyes seeming to flash with malice. " _All better now_..." She all but hissed, the words followed by a malevolent chuckle.

"What the hell do we do?!" Rebecca demanded, as Taylor tried to get a grip on his emotions, forcing himself to straighten, as he began to desperately search the woods with his eyes. "We can't exactly kill her!"

"We don't have to..." Taylor said distractedly, still combing the woods with his eyes urgently. "All we have to do is knock her out, cut her off from Mr. Red's reach..."

"Indeed." Aleister agreed, stepping forward again as he sneered at the teacher. "There's six of us; and one of her-" he began, falling silent as Mrs. Montoya laughed again, and Taylor groaned.

"Aleister... I _really_ wish you hadn't said that." Taylor sighed, his eyes locking onto movement behind the teacher.

 _"Wrong..."_ Mrs. Montoya seemed to almost sing, her eerie rasp seeming to taunt them with its gleeful tone, as another figure stepped our of the trees.

" _More of us in here_." Hissed the basketball captain, Ben; his skin an ashen grey as his eyes also glowed with an eerie, fiery spark. 

Taylor swallowed thickly as another figure stepped forward, chuckling as it cracked its knuckles. " _Ready to plaaay_..." Craig laughed tauntingly, his huge muscles seeming even larger than the last time Taylor had seen him.

 _"All of us in here_..." Tom said in a slow drawl, stepping forward himself, as Taylors friends gasped behind him; the realisation dawning as it had for him.

"Oh my god..." Quinn choked, her hand slipping over Taylors as she realised thwbextent of his distress. "Its the patients from the hospital! Mr. Red has them all under his control!"

"But, that means..." Rebecca gasped, her eyes widening as her hand clutched at Taylors other side, trailing off as crooked fingers gripped the bark of a tree; and from the shadows, something clawed it's way into the light.

"Please..." Taylor pleaded, tears welling in his eyes and rolling over his cheeks unbidden, as he desperately tried to deny what his heart had already guessed. He watched in rising distress, as one more figure stepped forward from the trees.

" _Hello friends_." Diego chuckled darkly, a menacing grin on his ashen face, as his glowing eyes ran over the group of startled faces; settling onto Taylors tortured expression with maniacal glee, as he began to laugh eerily. " _Come to play?"_


	18. In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has had ne crying, laughing... everything all in one.  
> Im so pleased with how it turned out - though i had a few issues at some points... still, im hoping its an enjoyable little whirlwind!
> 
> Please please, lemme know what you think... i cry a lot now because i know i am close to the end and im so sad about thay, but so proud of it too...  
> Thankyou so much for taking this journey wih me... it means sk much - and your comments have been sone of the most inspiring!
> 
> x My love to you all x

**18.**

**In The Dark**.

Taylor took a reflexive step back, his heart turning to ice as he stared toward the woods he'd been preparing to storm, planning to rescue Sean and Diego from Redfield. He shook his head, gagging on the grief which welled in his throat like bile, as he found himself face to face with his best friend. "... _Diego..."_ He choked, half reaching toward his friend, when Rebecca and Aleister each grabbed an arm and held him still.

 _"In the flesh, baby_..." Diego chuckled darkly, his ashen skin seeming to almost reflect the moonlight, as dark shadows writhed around his fiery, glowing eyes.

"What do we do, Taylor?" Quinn asked urgently, as the group of friends huddled together by Taylors shed, eyeing the assortment of patiently waiting shadowy figures at the edge of the woods. "The-these aren't dirt monsters... they're real _people!"_ She protested, shaking her head and averting her eyes from the disturbingly calm façade of Redfield's newest minions.

"Quinn's right..." Rebecca reluctantly agreed, sighing as she ran her free hand over her braided hair, glancing around the others uncertainly. "If we hurt 'em..."

 _"Yesss, don't hurt poor Tom_..." Tom hissed, sniggering in a vicious way which was entirely unlike his true persona. " _Make Sean sad._.." He sneered, as the basketball captain, Ben began to laugh darkly.

"Poor Sean..." He leered, grinning as he nudged Tom with his elbow. They both turned with an oddly sinuous motion, slinking away into the trees, with Mrs. Montoya following them a moment later.

Left alone with only Craig for backup, Diego looked directly at Taylor, his eyes glinting wickedly. _"Friends..."_ He said, his darkened lips twisted into a malevolent grin.

 _"Don't..."_ Taylor began, backing away as Diego slowly stepped forward. "Don't do this..." He pleaded, swallowing thickly as he struggled to calm the erratic beating of his heart. "Please, Diego... I don't wanna fight you..."

 _"Yes... Don't fight_..." Diego rasped, his grin seeming to stretch inhumanly, spreading across his face as his eyes blazed through the darkness. " _Come play..."_ He teased darkly, stepping backward into the trees with Craig and vanishing into the darkness.

"Diego..!" Taylor called desperately, lurching forward to strain against Rebecca and Aleister's hold on him, trying to follow after his possessed best friend. "Diego, no! _Diego..!"_

"Urgh, I don't like this." Rebecca said, grimacing as she fought against Taylors thrashing, until he finally sagged against her, a choked sob escaping him as he stared brokenly into the trees.

"Yeah..." Raj said awkwardly, glancing between Taylor and the trees where Diego had disappeared, before swallowing heavily and averting his gaze entirely. "Pretty sure nobody's stoked right now."

"We can do this... I'm certain of it." Aleister insisted, scowling into the dark woods opposite them hatefully, taking a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "Redfield seeks to disable us, to undermine, confuse and ultimately; break us. We must stick together..."

"Sure, that'll work..." Zahra said, sneering at the pale boy and rolling her eyes. "Right up to the point where Mr. Red's undead minions drag us into his lair like they did to Sean." She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest defensively.

"Zahra's right..." Quinn said, frowning as she watched Taylor stare blankly into the woods, uncertain he was even listening to them. "What happens if Mr. Red manages to separate us?"

"He has gotten pretty good at that, little doodlejumps..." Raj agreed, sighing heavily as he scratched at his arm, frowning towards the woods distrustfully.

"It doesn't matter if we break apart..." Taylor muttered quietly, slowly drawing in a deep breath as his friends started in surprise and turned towards him. "As long as we find each other again." He said, straightening slightly as he reached out and gripped Raj's shoulder. "No matter what that _bastard_ throws at us, no matter how long it takes..." He said, slowly looking around the others, as his hesitancy and distress melted into determination. "We'll find each other." He said, meeting each of his friends eyes individually, firmly assuring them of his confidence on the matter. "We will _always_ find each other."

Faced with Taylors darkening expression, his friends took heart one by one, each slowly nodding their agreement to his declaration. Furball pawed at his leg, standing on his hind legs to lick at his hand encouragingly, while Tetra pawed at the ground and sniffed the air. Taylor took a deep breath, steeling himself against the stinging gnaw of fear in both his heart and his gut, as he turned and strode forward into the trees, refusing to let himself hesitate a second longer. 

Fog swirled around Taylors ankles, as he waded deeper into the forest, while ghostly laughter echoed softly between the trees. "Everyone, keep your eyes peeled..." He called over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes as he tried his best to ignore the uneasy staccato beat of his heart.

Quinn shuddered, hugging herself against the cold as she looked around the dark forest distrustfully. "If we get out of this..." She said, scowling at a tree root which almost tripped her. "I am never stepping foot in the woods again."

"Well, I mean..." Zahra said, wincing as she shrugged her shoulders. "Even after we save Sean and Diego, we're still gonna have to figure out a way to seal Mr. Red, right?" She asked, frowning thoughtfully as she glanced around the disgruntled group.

"Don't think about that right now, dudette..." Raj said, shaking his head dismissively as he stared into the dark trees ahead of them. "We can't afford to get distracted."

 _"Dissssssssstracted?"_ Taylor stopped in his tracks at the disembodied voices which hissed through the trees around them, his friends almost bumping into his back, as wicked laughter rang in the air; seeming to come from every direction at once.

"Hey!" Rebecca yelled, scowling into the darkness as she pushed past Taylor, turning a slow circle to glare at their surroundings. "Why don't ya come here and face us, instead of sneakin' around?" She demanded, her hands clenched tightly into balls by her sides to hide their trembling.

" _Sneaking... more_..." The voices hissed, just as the basketball captain, Ben, crept out of the shadows nearby; his teeth glinting in the dim moonlight, a bold comparison to his statuesque, ashen skin. _"Fun."_ He said, a dark laugh escaping him, turning to a high pitched cackle, before it finally faded away into the shadowy night. " _Going to hurt_..." He breathed excitedly, a malicious grin on his face as he stepped closer. " _Break your bones..._ "

"So, how committed are we to the whole; not murdering this guy, thing?" Zahra asked far too innocently, as Taylor considered the way she was easily flipping her knife in her palm.

"Zahra, we cannot just kill people..." Aleister drawled, folding his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes, before examining the basketball captain critically. 

"Even an asshole like him?" Zahra demanded, sneering at the possessed bot, as he cocked his head and watched them with dark, malevolent glee.

Aleister considered a moment longer, dropping into a crouch briefly to pick up a sturdy branch, before rising to his feet and glancing at Zahra with a small smirk. "I suppose, given that this will be self defense..." He began, throwing her a wink for good measure. "Surely the authorities would understand if he... happened to lose a few teeth. _Accidentally."_

"My _man."_ Zahra said proudly, smirking at Aleister for a brief but charged moment, before turning to leer at Ben, while she cracked her knuckles. However, her cocky smirk faltered somewhat, when the basketball captain began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Taylor demanded, his hands curling around the handles if his fire axe and adapted baseball bat, Candy.

 _"So brave_..." Ben hissed, his unnatural grin stretching even further for a moment, before his entire expression morphed into a dark and furious glare. " _Not for long._ "

More dark laughter erupted behind them, and Taylor whirled around to see Diego leaning against a tree with a smirk; flanked by four snarling creatures. " _Brought some friends_..." Diego sniggered maliciously, his eyes blazing brightly, as Taylor took an unconscious step away from his best friend. " _Play nice_." Diego chuckled, as with vicious snarls and their fangs bared, the creatures launched themselves forward; one heading straight for Taylor.

Taylor barely had tine to think, his body running on autopilot as he dropped his fire axe and gripping Candy with both hands; winding up and swinging with all his might. _"Hhrraaahhh!"_ He roared, as Candy hit with an ear splitting crack, exploding the creatures skull into a hundred pieces. "That's it for _you,_ bud." He snorted, twirling his faithful bat as the headless body collapsed 

Nearby, Rebecca clobbered another creature with her purse, glancing over at Taylor with a grin. "Wow." She said, throwing him a mock salute reminiscent of her brother, unwittingly causing Taylors heart to clench. "I was gonna ask if ya needed help... but looks like you and ya bat have it covered."

"Hmm? Oh, yup. Candy's got my back." Taylor huffed, tapping the heavily wired bat to the ground briefly. "You found your purse then." He said conversationally, tipping his chin to the item in her hands.

"Was in the back of the car..." Rebecca admitted with an embarrassed grimace, shrugging her shoulder dismissively. "I was a little distracted and didn't notice it, tucked into the footwel-"

 _"Die,_ skeleton dude!" Raj yelled viciously, cutting off Rebecca's sentence before she could finish. Je turned in time to see the large boy throwing rocks at another creature with Quinn's help.

"Uh, aren't they sorta dead already?" She asked, startling when one of the vine monsters snapped its jaws viciously, before scowling and tossing a large rock at its head.

"Less talking, more throwing!" Raj ordered, as Quinn landed a direct hit, knocking the creature down so that the large boy could finish it off.

A few feet away from them, Zahra drove her knife into the final creatures spine. "What, is that it?" She scoffed, tossing her knife and snatching it from the air by the handle, twirling it expertly in her palm. "We're getting way too good at this."

Taylor narrowed his eyes, scanning the clearing but unable to see even a sign of Diego, Ben ir any more monsters. "Guess they snuck off while we-" he began, falling silent as he frowned, counting his friends faces.

"Guys, wait!" Rebecca gasped, as Taylors heart sank, knowing she'd just cone to the same startling revelation he had himself. "Someone's missin'!"

Taylor scowled, quickly roving his eyes over everyone who remained, before cursing loudly. _"Godammit!"_ He growled, running a hand through his hair irritably. "Aleister is gone..." He sighed, gritting his teeth as he glared at the ground a moment, before stomping forward to collect his fire axe from the forest floor.

"Exactly!" Rebecca agreed, frantically whirling around the clearing in the hopes of locating their missing friend. "Did anyone see where he went?!" She asked urgently, turning back to them all with desperate, wide eyes.

"He was just here a second ago..." Taylor sighed, frowning as he bit the inside of his cheek and glanced up at her with guilt in his eyes. "Wasn't he?"

"I'm not sure... I thought he was right behind me!" Quinn cried, her hand covering her mouth as she stared into the trees around them sadly. "But..." She trailed off uncertainly, sniffing back tears as her bright eyes travelled over the dark forest.

"He's gotta be close by, dudes..!" Raj exclaimed, his eyes wide as he turned in a frantic circle. "Aleister! Al!" He called urgently, moving slightly further away from the group as he continued to yell for their lost friend.

Taylor tensed as he heard the low whisper of a chuckle, and he turned just in time to spot Mrs. Montoya disappear vanish a tree. _"One down..."_ Her malicious voice sing-songed back to them gleefully.

"Son of a-" Zahra swore, starting toward where the teacher had disappeared, her face etched with a furious scowl. Rebecca lunged for her friend, grabbing her by the arm and holding her in place.

 _"Don't!"_ She cried, glancing over to where the shadow of their former teacher had vanished. "They're tryin' to separate us! It's a strategy Jake told me about from his Navy stories; divide and conquer..."

Taylor grimaced, sighing reluctantly as he looked over to the pair. "Becca's right. We need to-" he began, falling silent when Quinn's terrified scream suddenly cut through the air around them.

 _"Aaaahhhhhh!"_ She cried, as Craig exploded from the bushes, wrapping his thick arm around her neck in a tight headlock. "... Get off of me, you... You bully!" She growled a moment later, recovering from her shock.

" _Got you._.." Craig chuckled, his vicious grin twisting his features into something almost inhuman. Zahra scowled, starting forward as she brandished her knife threateningly.

"Hold on, I'll- _urgh,_ ow!" Zahra choked off suddenly, as a vine snapped around her wrist, its thorns biting into her skin. Taylor snarled, instantly rushing over to her and snatching her knife from her hand, deftly slicing through the vine in a single motion. _"Damn,_ Taylor... Nice moves." She praised, holding her hand out for him to give her knife back.

"No problem." He muttered, slapping the knife handle into her hand and turning back to Quinn and Craig, as he sneered and began to drag her towards the trees.

 _"Urgh,_ get off of me!" Quinn ordered, though Craig ignored her pleas. Taylor grit his teeth and charged across the clearing, diving forward and managing to grab hold of Quinn's hands.

"I've got you, beautiful!" He swore, growling as he tried to resist Craig's strength without hurting his friend. _"Snape!_ If you can do anything about _him,_ now would be a great time!" He yelled over his shoulder, planting his feet and straining to hold on, as Zahra approached with a scowl.

All around them, the woods seemed to come to life with tangling vines and brambles. Raj cursed as one such vine wrapped around his leg. "Get _off_ of me, vine dude!" He snarled, as he viciously began to kick his leg and tried to detach the vine.

"Taylor..." Quinn gasped, causing his eyes to snap back to her. "I... I can't hold on..." She choked, her eyes welling with tears as Taylors breath froze in his throat, her words unknowingly dragging him into a terrible memory.

_"Taylor... I'm slipping!" His friend had cried, their tiny fingers almost torn free from the crack in the floor they were desperately trying to cling to; as the howling winds tugged at them and tried to pull them deeper into the darkness._

_"No..!" Taylor had yelled, his heart lurching in fear as he watched his friend slip across the floor, dragged ever closer to the endless darkness beyond._

Taylor gasped, shaking his head to try and clear the awful memory away, and his eyes widened as he felt Quinn's hand slip out of his own. _"Taylor!"_ She called desperately, but only a second later, she was gone; swallowed up by the dark undergrowth.

"No, no, no..." Rebecca chanted, screaming suddenly as the woods around Taylor seemed to shift,  causing him to stagger unsteadily.

"What the _bloody hell_ was _that?!"_ Zahra exclaimed, her eyes wide as she raised her knife defensively, staring at the entirely different scenery around them.

"I don't-" Taylor began, breaking off abruptly as the earth heaved beneath his feet, sending him crashing to the ground as the woods continued to spin. "Wh..." He gasped, closing his eyes as the scenery around him changed like the blink of an eye. "What's... _happening..."_ He choked breathlessly, unable to hold on any longer as he fell into darkness.

The world slowly faded back into existence around him, though Taylor had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. Shaking, he pushed himself to his feet with a groan, looking around himself apprehensively. "Raj?" He called tentatively, wincing at the stinging in his throat which he assumed was from his screaming. "Becca?" He called again, turning a slow circle as panic began to pulse in his head like a drumbeat. "Where _are_ you?!" He cried desperately, his voice echoing hollowly across the empty clearing he found himself in; until suddenly, another voice called out from the trees.

" _All gone_..." Diego sniggered darkly, and Taylors heart lurched as he whirled around at the malicious sound of his voice, hammering in his chest painfully. " _Only me now._.." He teased menacingly, as he stepped into the clearing, darkness swirling around him like smoke, rising from a fire.

"Diego..." Taylor said brokenly, swallowing hard against the thick bile which tried to claw its way up his throat. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, his eyes stinging as tears of regret, guilt and grief began to roll over his cheeks. "I should have been there to stop this..."

 _"Sorry?"_ Diego hissed, cocking his head as his eyes flashed like fire. _"No... better this way..."_ He drawled as he slowly began to walk forward, and Taylor began to back away.

"I... I know you're in pain, but dude-" Taylor tried to say, but the words clogged in his throat, choking him and forcing him to drag in a deep and ragged breath.

 _"No pain anymore... No more worrying about you_..." Diego sighed, his wide grin stretching unnaturally across his marble looking skin. _"Just quiet... just dark_..." He whispered, his burning eyes seeming to flare brighter as he drew closer. " _Can take your pain too_..." Diego offered, the shadows around his eyes seeming to flicker slightly, his glowing orange eyes flashing with the first hint of longing. " _Your guilt... take it all away..."_

"I..." Taylor paused, swallowing heavily as he took another step back, shaking his head in an attempt to deny the appeal of the offer. _Life without this... cloying guilt and just... not having to care anymore_... He thought briefly, before a flash of memory burst into his mind; his evening with Jake, the warmth, security and affection they'd shared together. _"No."_ He said, drawing in a ragged breath as he hardened his expression and forced himself to look at his best friend. "No way, I'm not letting Redfield-" Diego lunged forward suddenly, cutting Taylor off as one hand clamping tightly around Taylors arm.

Taylor gasped and tugged at his arm on reflex, before forcing himself to stop, looking up into the twisted, ashen face of his best friend. "Diego, you _don't_ want to do this..." He tried to reason with him, his expression crumpling with guilt as his best friends skin glinted like a marble statue beneath the dim moonlight. "You're being controlled!"

 _"I..._ " Diego faltered for the first time, his blazing eyes widening as if in realisation. " _I_ _want_..." He flinched, shaking his head as his expression slowly darkened, his eyes narrowing at Taylor. " _Don't care_." He hissed, dragging Taylor across the clearing with unnatural strength and slamming him against a tree.

 _"Oof!"_ Taylor gasped, doubling over from the pain, until Diego gripped him by the throat, and forced him to straighten; leaning close and pressing him back into the rough bark.

 _"Stop fighting..."_ He hissed in Taylors ear, smoky shadows rising from his ashen skin, swirling around Taylor and sapping his strength.

Taylor gazed at his best friend longingly, clutching the hand at his throat a moment longer, before releasing his grip and sliding his hand along his arm. "No... Diego, I won't fight you. I _won't..._ but I _know_ you don't want this! I know, you don't want Redfield to do this to us... to _you!"_

 _"Better this way_..." Diego sighed, his malicious grin returning, forcing his shadowy features into something twisted and unrecognizable. " _All better_..."

"No, Diego... It's _not_ all better." He rasped, coughing as Diego's grip on his throat tightened. _There must be a way to get through to him... Maybe_... He coughed, his vision beginning to spot with black. "Diego... D'you even remember..? When we were kids?" He choked, wheezing as Diego's grip seemed to slacken briefly in surprise. "We were all best friends, and we'd all play together; every day!" He said, sucking in a deep breath quickly, before Diego returned the pressure to his throat, leaning closer to him with his unnatural grin.

" _Yes... play... play together_..." Diego whispered, almost longingly as his eyes blazed fiercely. " _With Mr. Red... fun._.." He hissed, his lips grazing Taylors ear as he leaned in closer.

Taylor grimaced, struggling to find the air to speak. "No, Diego... Playing with Mr. Red wasn't _fun!_ It was twisted and wrong... And I _never_ should have taken you all to him..." He said brokenly.

 _"Noooo... fun!"_ Diego growled in his ear, drawing back slightly to glare at Taylor, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of his throat.

"Diego, think back... to what it was like _before_ Mr. Red!" Taylor choked, reaching up to Diego's shoulder as he stared at his best friend, determined he wouldn't fight him. "The... the slumber parties, catching frogs in my backyard, trick or treating..." He said, gasping for breath as Diego's grip loosened from his throat slightly, the flicker of a genuine smile crossing his face, before it was quickly followed by confusion. "R-remember, that Halloween when we both dressed up as Captain Incredible?" He pressed, encouraged by Diego's reaction, hope and determination surging in his heart at the brief flash of his best friend beneath the shadowy hold Redfield had on him. "I thought you'd be so mad... but you called us-"

" _The Dynamic Duo_..." Diego rasped, his fiery eyes widening amid the shadows on his face, shaking his head as he slowly eased his grip from Taylors throat. _"I..._ "

"Dude... do you remember, how we all fell apart? I pushed everyone away... But you wouldn't let me!" Taylor said, his eyes welling with tears as he sniffed and squeezed Diego's shoulder briefly. "You refused to let me, Diego... And I _refuse_ to let you now!" He said, finally shoving Diego's hand from his throat and lurching forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Diego's shoulders, as he staggered backwards in surprise.

 _"N-no... no!"_ Diego hissed uncertainly, shaking his head as he weakly tried to dislodge Taylors tight grip on him. " _You... you stay away. Better_..." Diego pleaded, his hands rising to clutch at his head. " _Better this way_..." He whimpered, trying to pull away, despite Taylor tightening his grip on him.

"No, Diego..." Taylor said as he swallowed heavily, burying his face in the side of his friends shadowy throat for a moment as he held him close. _"He can't have you_..." Taylor whispered vehemently in his best friends ear. Drawing back to touch his forehead to Diego's determinedly. Diego tried to shy away, grimacing almost as if in pain, as Taylor slowly drew his arms back to cup his best friends cheeks, forcing him to meet his eyes. "You wouldn't let me push you away once... This time _, I_ won't let _you._ You're like a brother to me, and I _won't_ stay away. Not _ever_ again." He promised, gently wiping beneath Diego's eyes with his thumbs, as tears began to well and overflow from them. "It's gonna be okay." He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Diego's cheeks, before drawing him back into a tight hug.

 _"Taylor..."_ Diego gasped, his breath catching as his arms hesitantly wrapped themselves around Taylor, his fingers slowly curling into the back of his jacket. Taylors chest hitched with relief, and he buried his face in his best friends shoulder, a soft sob escaping him as Diego hugged him back tightly; warmth slowly bleeding into his skin. "Taylor..?" At the sound Diego's tentative enquiry, Taylor drew back from his shoulder and choked, smiling joyfully at the sight of his best friend looking at him in vague confusion. "Dude... what are we doing out here? I-" Diego's confusion seemed to clear in an instant, his expression clouding with horror and realisation. "Oh god..."

Diego's legs suddenly gave out, and Taylor slowly helped him sink to the ground, as his whole body began to shiver. "Y-you shouldn't have come, Taylor!"Diego said urgently, his fingers scrabbling at the front of Taylors suit, as he rolled his eyes at his best friend. "Mr. Red is back! We have to-"

"I know, assbutt." Taylor huffed, wiping his damp eyes briefly before flicking his friend on the forehead, unable to wipe the relieved grin from his face. "That's why I'm here." He snorted, shaking his head as Diego frowned at him in confusion. "How much do you remember?" He asked gently, taking Diego's hand in his own and warming them between his palms.

"Dude... why're you wearing a _suit?"_ Diego asked in lieu of replying, his brow creasing briefly as he clicked his tongue and looked Taylor over thoroughly. "Not that I'm complaining because, _damn..._ you're really working it and all-" he paused, his eyes widening at the small arsenal Taylor had brought with him. "Oh my god, what the hell is all _that?!_ Dude, you're like some badass secret agent or someth-"

"Diego, focus." Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes as he moved his hands up to Diego's shoulders. "Look at me." He said, tilting his friends chin up to force him to meet his gaze. "Now, how much do you remember?" He repeated, his gaze softening as Diego's eyes glazed with shadows for a moment.

"Not much..." He finally admitted, his expression crumpling as guilt washed across his face. "Except, it's all my fault. I thought..." He paused, huffing a deep sigh and running a hand through his hair. "But-"

"Hey, ease up on the guilt there, assbutt." Taylor said quietly, forcing a small grin as he gently bumped his fist to Diego's jaw. "Only room for one to bear the blame of all this shit in our little group." He said, as Diego rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that's kinda why I wanted to prove..." He began, only to fall silent for a heartbeat, looking at Taylor with a sad frown. "Taylor... He's _real,_ isn't he?" He asked, his fingers curling into the sleeve of Taylors jacket as he bit his lip nervously.

"He is..." Taylor said, nodding his head slowly. "And he's hurt a lot of people. He kidnapped you, Craig and Tom from the hospital; and he took Sean from homecoming." He said, as Diego reeled back from him, his eyes wide as he began to hyperventilate.

 _"Homecoming?!"_ He choked, shaking his head rapidly as if to try and clear it. "Wait, no... Was I..." He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down for a moment. "Dude, how long was I asleep?" He asked, his eyes searching Taylors face, and clouding with guilt at the pain which Taylor couldn't conceal in his eyes.

"Too long, buddy." Taylor said thickly, as the pair enveloped each other in a fierce hug. "God, it feels like this has been going on forever. It's been _hell_ without you, and you've missed so much!" He sniffed, wiping his eyes discreetly with his hand while Diego couldn't see him. "I wanted to come see you more often, but after the first time... with your parents..."

"Oh no, Taylor... I'm so sorry!" Diego said quickly, holding him tighter as Taylor tried to hide a ragged sob with a cough. "I'm so sorry..." He said again, before falling silent for a time; each taking the moment to offer comfort to the other.

Taylor cleared his throat, finally drawing back so he could smile at his friend. "Hey, do you remember Becca's brother?" He asked, his grin growing as Diego drowned for a moment, before nodding hesitantly.

"Jake?" He asked, raising a brow at the ripple of happiness which passed over Taylors face at the mention of the pilot. "Yeah... Didn't he leave town though..?" 

"Mmhm, he rolled back into town the day you went missing." Taylor said, scowling suddenly and jabbing his fist into Diego's shoulder roughly.

"Okay, ow!" Diego yelped, rubbing the offended spot with a pout. "What the _hell_ was _that_ for, assbutt?!" He demanded, his own anger wilting beneath Taylors furious expression.

"That was for scaring the shit outta me that night!" He groused, folding his arms over his chest as he scowled at his best friend. "And for letting Redfield possess you, and almost killing us when we came to see you! _And-"_

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Diego protested, waving his arms before his face in surrender. "I'm sorry, okay?! Geez, give a guy a break here..." He complained, raising a brow when Taylor winced at the expression. "What?" He asked hesitantly, as Taylor toyed with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Pretty sure Redfield's pets broke Sean's leg..." Taylor admitted with a sigh, looking away briefly when Diego winced himself. Taylor shook his head, a dry huff escaping him as he heaved a deep breath. "We really need to find the others. Redfield wants to separate us for a reason. I think... I think he's scared we might actually beat him this time."

"Well apparently I was just snoozing through whatever damage he's caused so far," Diego said, swallowing heavily as he painted a  determined look on his face. "But, even so, I'm ready for some payback." He said, making Taylor laugh as he feigned a comical grimace of strength.

"I _really_ missed you, assbutt." He said, sighing as he clapped his friend on the shoulder fondly. "Please don't go wondering off for midnight rambles anymore. You're easier to keep track of, if you just come and get drunk at mine..."

 _"Pfft,_ dude you're smothering me." Diego laughed, feigning irritation as he grinned at Taylor and laid his hand over Taylors on his shoulder. "Also, I have not forgotten you brought up Becca's brother, nor that you flushed like a neon stop sign 'cause of him. So dish, how long have you been crushing on him and what the hell has happened?" Taylor flushed scarlet, averting his eyes as he cleared his throat, though he was unable to hide the smug smirk which curled across his lips. _"No... way..."_ Diego gasped, his eyes widening briefly, before he broke out in a huge grin. _"Ohmygod..!_ _Tell. Me. Everything_."

"Dude, c'mon..." Taylor huffed, finally jostling his friend as he laughed shyly. "I am _not_ giving you details, assbutt. You'll just have to wait until you find your own... someone special." He grumbled, tugging his jacket sleeve awkwardly, ever unable to remove the smile from his burning face.

"Taylor, you can't just drop that on me and expect me _not_ to need more information!" Diego cried, gripping his hand tightly and squeezing pleadingly. "C'mon, I've been unconscious! I gotta get caught up, you gotta tell me when you first started crushing on him, how you met, where you-"

Taylor pressed a hand over Diego's mouth suddenly, cocking his head and raising a finger to his own lips to shush his friend; listening intently as he heard the sound of voices nearby. "Dude... none of that matters right now."

"But-" Diego protested, his voice muffled by Taylors hand as he groaned in exasperation and frustration.

"I _promise,_ I'll fill you in on _everything_ you've missed you weird little pervert..." Taylor groused, his cheeks staining red as Diego flashed him a smug grin. "Right now, all that matters is you're _back..._ and now our friends need help.

Diego pouted but nodded, taking a deep and shaky breath, as he pushed himself to his feet unsteadily. "Okay..." He said, forcing himself to be serious after a final sigh of reluctant acceptance. "Lets go, bud."

Taylor eyed Diego critically as he slowly got to his feet, raising a brow at him. "Are you sure you're up for it?" He asked, looking his friend over with obvious concern, not wanting to push him too soon.

"Yeah, needs doing, right?" Diego huffed, rolling his eyes. "Unless you're planning to just leave me here on my own." He snarked, offering a weak smile to try and alleviate the obvious fears in Taylors gaze. "C'mon dude, I'm fine; really. Lets _go_ already, before that changes... and I need to change my pants."

Taylor hesitated a moment longer, his eyes examining the way Diego stood; his whole body tense and his arms crossed, as if he were freezing cold, but trying not to show it. _This is not what fine looks like_. He thought with a sigh, running his hand through his hair as he glanced aside briefly. _This is how we always are. We say we're fine, hide our true feelings and end up getting ourselves and others hurt-_ his thoughts broke off abruptly, and he swallowed heavily at the startling realisation that he was detailing his own behaviour towards his friends. _Even after all we've been through, I'm still mot being honest with them... Jake was right. I should have told them all ages ago_... He coughed, glancing around the dark and shadowy trees, as he gathered up his weapons. _But before I can do anything about rectifying that, I need to find everyone... and to do that I need Diego to be on top form_. He thought, taking a deep breath and turning back to his friend. _Maybe I can get him to open up a little, help him really let everything go. Then we can get on and rescue the others._

Taylor unbuttoned his jacket, slipping it from his shoulders and wrapping around Diego slowly. "Dude." He said, looking at Diego intently. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" He asked quietly, raising a knowing brow.

"Huh?" Diego frowned, unconsciously slipping his arms into the jacket and pulling it on tightly. "Yeah, I'm fine." He quickly scoffed, trying to avert his gaze but forced to keep his eyes on Taylor, as his friend held him at arms length. "I mean, not my best day ever, but..." He babbled, fidgeting as he tired with the cuff of his newest layer.

"... Sit down again for a sec." Taylor urged, looking around the clearing and double checking they were still alone.

Diego sighed, shivering as he rolled his eyes at his friends over-cautiousness. "Taylor... we can't deal with this right now." He said, taking a single shaky step forward, before Taylor poked him in the chest and forced him back again.

"We can't _not_ deal with it." Taylor countered, folding his arms over his chest imperiously. "Now _sit,_ assbutt." He huffed, leading Diego by the elbow to sit on the stump with a heavy sigh, while he stood and patiently waited for him to voice what was bothering him.

Diego fidgeted uncertainly, plucking at the red flower pinned to Taylors jacket as he tried to find the words best to express himself. "All of this is my fault." He said suddenly, swallowing heavily as he finally glanced at Taylor, who said nothing and gestured for him to continue. "I was the one who came back to the woods... I was the one who woke up Mr. Red again." He said, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, his tense shoulder finally slumping.

"No, you didn't." Taylor said quietly, ignoring the way Diego spluttered and shook his head in disbelief, refusing to accept the comfort which Taylor offered him.

"But I _did!"_ He cried, his eyes widening as he stared at his best friend with rising confusion. "I went to the old ruins... and I dared him to come out!"

"Diego... He would have done it eventually anyway." Taylor said slowly, choosing his words carefully as he stepped closer to his friend and perched beside him on the stump. "If not for _us,_ then for somebody _else."_

"You don't know that Taylor, you're just saying it to make me feel better..." Diego sighed, looking up in surprise when Taylor gently took his hand and shook his head.

"I _do_ know." He said, drawing in a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. "While you were out, the rest of us have learned a lot more about Redfield... For example, he's not even Redfield anymore." He said, looking at Diego, as he frowned in confusion. "Redfield was the name of the original idiot who bonded with the power that lived in these woods... But in early ninety six; Everett Rourke went looking to tame it, to claim it for his own. He failed, and he never came back." 

"You-" Diego choked, his eyes wide as he tried to process what he'd been told. "You're telling me that, we used to play with a shadow monster, which is partly Aleister's missing dad?" He said in a rush, his breath exploding from him in a ragged sigh as he turned away, trying to absorb the revelation.

"Aleister has taken it pretty well, considering." Taylor added quietly, ignoring Diego's outburst as he looked around the clearing thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely certain how he feels about having Estela for a sister though-"

"Whoa, wait a minute there... _Estela,_ like; scary Estela who could turn me into a human pretzel with very little effort?" Diego demanded, his voice rising in shock and agitation. "She's Aleister's _sister?!"_ He choked, coughing as his voice finally cracked. "Oh my god... That is..." He trailed off, shaking his head as he exhaled a heavy breath, his brows raised high on his forehead.

"The point I was trying to make..." Taylor said, clearing his throat and steering them back onto their original topic. "Is that, he's not just some imaginary friend we made up. He's something... _darker_ and older. _Way_ older than us." He said, running a hand through his hair as he thought back to the collection of letter pinned up in his shed. "We're not the first group he's done this sort of stuff to, that he's tormented... or killed."

"So, what..?" Diego asked after a brief pause, trying hard to accept the mountain of insight he was being given. "This is all just, random bad luck? We're just... collateral damage?"

"We're just people, dude, people who got latched onto by a homicidal monster." Taylor said, sighing as he turned his face to the sky, guilt weighing heavy in his heart as he thought back to the day he'd first brought his friends to Redfield; and his blind trust in the shadowy being. "I wish I'd never brought you all into this... But hey, we've tried a lot of stuff to kick his sorry ass at this point, but it's all backfired." He huffed, shaking his head as he turned to lean his back to Diego's, staring into the tree line at the far side of the clearing. "You tried yelling at him. I tried reasoning with him. The other day, we even tried a magic spell." He said, as Diego snorted and peeked over his shoulder at him.

"Did that work?" Diego asked, a knowing grin teasing at his lips, as Taylor smiled tiredly and shook his head.

"It did _not."_ He said quietly, as Diego sniggered and rolled his eyes. "My point is dude; it's not your fault. Anything Redfield has done to us lately, is _not_ your fault. It's _his."_ He said, carefully keeping his back turned to his friend. 

Diego sighed and leaned forward, disturbing Taylor from where he'd been leaning against him and causing him to yelp as he slid off the stump. His friend barely chuckled however, burying his head in his hands instead as he curled his fingers into his hair. "I just... I thought I could get that night out of my head, if I just confronted it. I thought if i faced it, got past it; I could help you do the same... I just, I want to feel _normal,_ Taylor-"

"What do you mean, _help me?"_ Taylor scoffed, padding around the stump on his hands and knees and sitting by his friends side, frowning up at him curiously.

"C'mon, Taylor. You and I _both_ know that my dose of guilt over this is _nothing_ compared to what you've been doing to yourself over the years." Diego scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned towards Taylor with a knowing look. "How much of that spiel you just gave me, would you _actually_ have believed, if  _I_  had been saying it to _you?"_ He asked gently, as Taylor carefully kept his expression void of any reaction to his friends needling.

"I dunno what you're talking about." He said dismissively, shrugging his shoulder as he met Diego's gaze evenly. "I'm fine, now keep going. You wanna feel normal..." He prompted, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers and rolling his eyes with a snort. "Because normal is _soooo_ not boring." He scoffed, snickering when Diego shoved him away with his knee.

"Yeah, I do... Just a _little,_ anyway." Diego huffed, shaking his head at Taylor, as his amusement faded and his expression clouded with uncertainty. "But I _can't."_ He said, swallowing thickly as he quickly shook his head. "It's like, my whole life is snagged on this one night tem years ago... and I can't get away from it; can't get _you_ away from it!" He said, reaching blindly for Taylors hand and gripping it tightly. "No matter how hard I try."

"Diego, you need to stop worrying about _me_ , and take care of _yourself..."_ Taylor said quietly, squeezing his friends hand in reassurance."I get it, okay? I really do understand... I admit; everything that happened still hurts me, still hurts everyone, in all honesty." He said, lifting his shoulder in vague dismissal, as Diego frowned at him in confusion. "Look, none of us ever really got better after... _everything._ But, we're dealing with it, in our own ways..."

"What, by shouldering all the blame?" Diego asked knowingly, scowling at Taylor with frustration. Taylor cleared his throat and forced an eye roll, ignoring the pointed question and pushing on regardless.

"You know, you should really talk to Raj sometime." He said, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the empty clearing slowly. "He'd soon tell you one way or another if he blamed you. He doesn't pull punches when it comes to Mr. Red..." He explained, shrugging his shoulder lightly. "Seeing as you won't believe _me."_

"I believe you Taylor... I just, I want you to listen to your own damn advice." Diego sighed, shaking his head slowly. "You can comfort _anyone_ else, and convince them they aren't to blame; but as soon as it comes to you and how you're coping, you're like Fort Knox. You close off and bury everything, and you won't let me help..." He said, looking up at the dark sky above them. "Okay, look." He said suddenly, shifting aside so he could half turn towards his friend. "Assuming we do actually make it out of this-"

"Don't say that." Taylor cut in sharply, gripping Diego's hand so tightly it almost hurt. "We're _gonna_ get through this." He said determinedly, his expression hardening as he met Diego's gaze.

"How do you _know_ that?" Diego huffed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head slowly. "You can't just say a thing and make it true, dude, trust me I know-"

"I know because I'm _not_ gonna _let_ anything happen to any of you!" Taylor finally burst, his composure slipping as his expression crumpled with guilt. "I am _not_ gonna sit back and let any of you be hurt again! I'm _not_ prepared to allow one of you to fall victim to some psycho shadow monster! I _refuse_ to lose a single one of you; when its _my fault_ any of you ever got involved in the first place!" He cried, before falling silent suddenly, turning to stare down at his own lap in rising frustration for his outburst.

Diego remained tactfully silent for a full minute, silently absorbing Taylors outburst, before leaning against his side with a sigh. "Yeah, you're right dude, there's absolutely _no_ reason for me to worry about you." He huffed sarcastically, and despite his self loathing, Taylor couldn't help but laugh quietly. "Look, I'm not gonna lie, Taylor... We might never have gotten involved with Mr. Red, if it weren't for you. But; and this is just _me_ talking, 'cause I can't speak for the others, but... if I had known _then,_ what I know _now;_ I would _still_ choose to play." He said, as Taylor made a sound of distress in his throat and turned towards his friend. "Don't gimme that look. You're my best friend, Taylor... If Mr. Red is the price I have to pay to have ever found you, I'd pay it in a heartbeat."

"God, you're an idiot..." Taylor groused, shaking his head as he was flooded by guilt and gratitude together, such strongly conflicting emotions that he felt nauseous from their tumultuous churning in his gut. "Everyone says I'm the idiot, but clearly it's _you..._ I must have been channelling your bad decisions while you were unconscious."

"Oh?" Diego scoffed, nudging Taylors shoulder playfully. "What's your excuse for every time before that?" He asked, grinning goofily as Taylor snorted and flashed a reluctant grin. 

"You obvious used your telekinetic powers to make me behave so badly, so you looked better by comparison." He snickered, jostling Diego back as they mock tussled for a moment. Finally they relented, sitting quietly for a moment with their backs leaning against each other. "... I meant it, Diego. We are gonna be okay. We _are_ gonna win."

Diego turned to peer over his shoulder at Taylor, a small smile flitting across his lips briefly. "I repeat; How do you _know_ that, assbutt?" He asked quietly. 

Taylor rolled his eyes and snorted, chuckling weakly and staring at the floor as he drew in a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "Because I keep saying it... and it keeps being true." He finally said, turning similarly to Diego and flashing a thin smile to his friend, their foreheads barely brushing as they peeked at each other almost shyly. Diego finally huffed faintly amused sigh, smiling weakly as he turned away and dried his eyes on Taylors jacket sleeve. "Hey, hey! Dude, watch the jacket, 'kay? Just 'cause Becca already covered it in snot..." He said, feigning outrage until Diego choked in disgust, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Urgh, you are the _worst,_ best friend ever..." Diego groused, pouting as he eyed Taylors jacket critically for a moment, before deciding that it was in fact clean. He sighed, turning fully to face Taylor as he raised a brow. "We should probably get moving, huh?" He asked, his eyes reflecting his calmer mindset in their dark depths.

"Sure. But..." Taylor agreed, though he set his hand over Diego's hand to keep him from standing. "Can I ask you, just one last question..?" He wondered aloud, worrying his lip between his teeth.

"Besides that one?" Diego snorted, dodging Taylors playful jab at the predictable joke. "Sure." He finally relented, his brow raising as Taylor fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment.

"... What happened?" He finally asked slowly, averting his eyes as he swallowed a shaky breath. "When you came back here, I mean? When I got your texts... I was pretty freaked out."

"It's... kind of a blur." Diego said, frowning thoughtfully as he tried to recall the memory of his solo visit to the woods. "I remember going to the ruins... But, I couldn't bring myself to go inside, so I dared Redfield to come out." He said, swallowing thickly as he looked up at Taylor with a haunted gaze. "And then he just... _did._ Plain as day, right in front of me; after ten years of us telling ourselves it was all a dream, that we made it all up." He said, shivering and wrapping Taylors jacket tighter around him, as Taylor frowned in concern and scooted closer to his side. "He said something about wanting to play, and... I just booked it, dude. But then, the woods kept changing, and I couldn't get out..! And _then-"_

Taylor shushed Diego's rising voice, soothing his hysteria by pressing his forehead to his friends cheek and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "Its okay... I'm here." He whispered, holding Diego until he'd sufficiently calmed himself again. "Let me guess; then came the monsters?"

Diego shuddered, his tormented gaze rising to Taylors as he shifted away from him slightly. "I spent all night running and hiding, but then they'd find me and I'd run some more..." He said, shaking his head as a shiver passed over his spine. "I guess eventually, I just passed out."

"... And then we found you?" Taylor murmured thoughtfully, looking down at the ground in contemplation, wondering how things might have been different if he hadn't managed to find his best friend in time.

"Yeah..." Diego huffed, grinning lopsidedly as he bumped his fist to Taylors shoulder gently. "Then you guys found me." He said softly, taking a deep breath before slowly pushing to his feet. "C'mon dude, that's enough baring my soul for one day... night... whatever, assbutt." He groused, pouting as Taylor snickered behind his hand. "It's time for us to go find everyone else, and get to the rescuing!"

Taylor chuckled quietly, slowly rising to his feet himself, his eyes flicking over Diego worriedly. "You feeling better now?" He asked, nudging his friend gently as Diego sighed and pursed his lips, lowering his eyes to the flower pinned to Taylors jacket, as he toyed with it distractedly.

"Honestly?" He asked, peeking up at his friend before glancing away again. "I'll fell better when we can get the hell out of here." He huffed, snorting inelegantly as Taylor gave him a lopsided grin. "But... this whole, awkward bonding in the creepy woods thing helped. Thanks, Taylor."

"Anytime, Diego." Taylor said back, bumping his fist to Diego's before pulling it back and wiggling his fingers with little explosion sounds. "Anytime." He repeated as Diego laughed quietly, smiling as he reached over to give his friends hand a final squeeze. "Here, want a weapon?" He asked, picking up his fire axe and Candy from the ground, before offering them hilt first for Diego to choose between.

"Uh," Diego hesitated, sliding his arms into Taylors jacket sleeves to wear it properly, buttoning it up his front to warm himself. "I was actually kinda thinking of running around and screaming in terror, while leaving you to do all the actual fighting..." He admitted, glancing at Taylor unashamedly.

"Hmm, you sure?" Taylor asked, frowning as he tossed his two weapons into the air slightly and re-caught them by their handles. Diego raised a brow at Taylors display, but nodded to confirm his rejection of weaponry. "Okay, but you know this way we don't get to be hot versions of Merle and Daryl..." He said teasingly, as Diego hummed and cocked his head in sudden deliberation.

"I think I'm gonna stick with the whole; panicking wildly thing." He finally decided, flashing Taylor a bright grin. "But if you find a crossbow somewhere, I am all for being a badass with it..." He said proudly, as Taylor snorted and shook his head, turning to lead the way; as the two of them waded back into the dark woods in search of their friends. The pair soon broke into a run however, dashing through the woods quickly, as they heard voices calling out from all directions.

 _"Urgh,_ I an gonna chop you into mulch, you overgrown-" Zahra's furious growl echoed among the eerie forest, and Taylor panted as he held out and arm to sloe Diego, cocking his head to try and pinpoint which direction she was in.

"Is that... _Zahra?"_ Diego wondered aloud, his brows rising as he listened intently for a moment. "I think she's close, Taylor!" He said, tugging his friend between two tees and along a well worn path. They gasped as they found Zahra, fighting against a tangle of thorny vines, which hung from the branches of a tree.

"Taylor!" She growled, spotting him as he ran toward her, gazing in horrified awe as he shook his head at her predicament. "I dropped my knife over there, I need-" the vines gave a sudden jerk, lifting Zahra off her feet. _"Arrgh!"_ She yekked, a furious scowl on her face as she struggled against them, while they reeled her higher and higher off the ground.

"What do we _do?!"_ Diego gasped, running up beside Taylor and staring up at Zahra in disbelief, as she continued to struggle as much as she was able to, against the vicious vines.

"... I've got an idea." Taylor said slowly, a smirk spreading across his face as he pressed Candy and his fire axe into Diego's hands, and reached back to unstrap his pole saw. "I'm gonna trim that tree!" He said, yanking the starter handle nd laughing as the weapon thrummed ro life. "Hold still..!" He called to Zahra, who stared at him in stunned silence, too shocked to reply. 

With the pole saws long reach, Taylor was easily able to tear through the vines ensnaring Zahra's hands, and she dropped back to the ground with a wide grin. "Nice save, Taylor." She smirked, bumping her fist to his shoulder.

"Anytime." He said, winking as he threw her a rough salute similar to the one Jake often gave him.

"Holy crap, Taylor..." Diego laughed, nudging his shoulder as he grinned widely. "That thing is _awesome!"_ He said, beaming as he eyed the pole saw with obvious glee.

"Oh look, its Diego." Zahra drawled, turning towards him with an impassive expression. "And he doesn't have a zombie face." She added, raising a brow as she examined him.

"Yeah... sorry about all that." Diego coughed, his face falling slightly as be rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Zahra shrugged indifferently, but Taylor smirked at the look of relief he caught on her face as she moved to retrieve her knife. "Whatever..." She grumbled, hiding her face as she stuffed her knife back into her boot. "Good to have you back, I guess." She admitted awkwardly a moment later, as they all hurried away from the still twitching vines.

Taylor directed them through the trees, focusing on Quinn's voice as it led them to the base of a huge, gnarled tree. "I don't see her..." He said, frowning as panic began to clutch at his chest, desperately sweeping his eyes across the area again in case he'd missed her.

"H-here!" Quinn gasped, and Taylors brows rose, as he knelt down and finall spotted Quinn; crouching in a hollow space beneath the tree.

"Oh, beautiful... You don't make things easy, do you?" He huffed, shaking his head as he leaned his hand against the roots between them, allowing her to reach up and grip his fingers with a relieve, half sobbed giggle.

"How the hell'd you get down in there?" Zahra demanded, her eyes widening at Quinn's predicament.

"I got away from Craig, and hid in here..." Quinn admitted sheepishly, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment as she peeked up at them. "But then the roots-" she began, only to break of with a gasp, as the roots shuddered around her, her hiding place beginning to shrink. _"Aaah!"_ She cried, stumbling back and dropping to her knees, her eyes wide with fear.

"Don't worry, beautiful." Taylor said firmly, narrowing his eyes at the ominously tightening roots and pushing to his feet. "We'll get you out of there!" He said, swinging his pole saw back into its harness, and snagging his fire axe from Diego, hefting it in both hands. "Hold still, Quinn. I'll have you out in two seconds." He promised, as Quinn gasped and covered her face with her hands.

Taylor swung his axe high, and chopped at the roots. The razor sharp blade chopped bit into the wood with ease, and in no time at all, he'd created a hole big enough for Quinn to scramble through. "Wow, Taylor!" She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck in relief and pressing a grateful kiss to his cheek. "That was pretty _badass!"_

 _"Ooohhhh,_ princess Quinn said a _bad word!"_ Zahra snarked, smirking proudly as she strolled closer and bumped her fist gently to Quinn's jaw.

"You're quite welcome, beautiful..." Taylor sighed, buffing his fingers against his shirt. "The role of a hero is-" he fell silent with a roll of his eyes, as Quinn gasped and shot past him, squealing happily as she threw her arms around Diego.

"Oh my god, you're _back!"_ She cried happily, kissing his cheek as Diego flushed crimson and patted her back awkwardly, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor over her shoulder.

"Uh, hey, Quinn..." He coughed, biting his lip as she held onto him tightly. "Um, I'm sorry that-" he began, choking off as she pulled back briefly to scowl at him.

"I'm not. Without you, I might still be sick!" She said hotly, her fiery temper fading as suddenly as it came, replaced by a sweet smile. "I'm _so_ glad we found you, Diego..."

"I-" Diego paused, swallowing heavily as a warn smile surfaced on his face and he drew Quinn back into a hug, tucking his chin over her shoulder. "Me too." He said, smiling as he glanced at Taylor.

"Now, lets go find the others..." He said, winking at Diego briefly, before turning to lead the way away from the tree prison.

"Wait," Diego said suddenly, holding Quinn at arms length as he stared at her in wide eyed shock. "Did you say, _still_ _be sick._.? Like, as in..?!" He gasped, as Quinn giggled gleefully and gripped his arms tightly.

"I have _so_ much to tell you!" She said, linking her arm with his and gently pulling him along after Taylor and Zahra, as she began to fill him in on some of the finer details of the time he'd missed.

Taylor increased his speed as he heard shouting through the forest, following the sound to find himself back in the clearing, where Aleister had been cornered by one of Redfield's stone creatures. "Desist at once, you glorified paperweight!" Aleister sneered, dodging out of the hulking monsters reach gracefully, when they tried to grab him. _"Taylor!"_ He called, as he spotted their group burst into the clearing. "A little assistance would be greatly appreciated!" He snarled, pirouetting out of the way of another attempt to grab him.

Mrs. Montoya leaned against a tree, chuckling to herself as she watched the pale boy struggle. _"Warned you..."_ She leered, a vicious grin twisting her face. " _Taking on more than you could handle..."_

"Yeah, but now he's got help..!" Taylor growled, rushing forward with his friends as the stone creature roared, and fist sized rocks emerged from the earthy flesh of its hands.

 _"Time to crush you puny kids._.." It rumbled menacingly, giving up on capturing Aleister and flinging a rock at his head.

"Diego!" Taylor called sharply, tossing his axe across to Zahra, who snatched it from the air easily and twirled it as she narrowed her eyes. "Candy!" He growled, holding out his hand expectantly.

"Uh," Diego frowned, before realisation hit and he lobbed the barbed wire bat to his friend with a yelp. "Who the _hell_ names a weapon like that after sweets?!" Taylor didn't answer as he dove in front of Aleister, lining up and swinging his bat hard. With a fierce crack, Candy sent the rock flying into the trees. _"Woo!_ It's a homerun!" Diego cheered proudly, as Quinn laughed and applauded.

"Too bad for _you,_ I know your weaknesses now." Taylor sneered, smirking as he ignored his friends enthusiastic cheering. He charged forward with a growl, ducking under the next rock and swinging Candy as hard as he could into the creatures chest. The carved stone in its chest cracked, and the creature crumbled into pieces with a groan.

"Impeccable timing, Taylor." Aleister said, strolling over and clapping him on the shoulder with a small grin. "And an incredible sight to behold." He added warmly, his piercing eyes radiating pride as he smiled at him.

"Don't mention it." Taylor said easily, grinning at his pale friend, as he swung his bat up to his shoulder lightly.

 _"Hmph..."_ Mrs. Montoya growled, scowling over at Taylor. " _Easy to win... when you cheat."_ She sneered, before she faded back into the trees with an angry hiss.

"As much as that woman aggravates me," Aleister sighed, running a hand over his dishevelled hair. "We must figure out a way to help her."

"Later." Diego promised, walking forward with Quinn and Zahra, as Aleister blinked in surprise. "Right now, she's our enemy. She'll do anything to stop us from saving our friends, and getting the _hell_ out of here." He said, grinning shyly as he exchanged a brief but warm handshake with Aleister.

"So... let's make sure she doesn't get the chance." Taylor suggested, frowning as mist began to roll across the ground. He turned abd cocked his head sharply, narrowing his eyes as he heard a voice through the dark trees. "Becca..." He muttered, scowling as he turned to Diego and handed Candy back to him, before racing away to follow the sound of their friends terrified voice.

"Taylor?" Rebecca cried, her voice growing louder as Taylor crashed through the trees, his friends following closely behind him. "Anybody?" She called again, and Taylor narrowed his eyes at the distress in her voice, pushing himself to run faster. " _Where are you?!"_

"Becca!" Taylor yelled back, panting as he dodged around a thick tree trunk. "We're coming! Hold on!" He promised, looking down with a frown, as something sticky clung to his ankles. He grimaced at the thick mat of spider webs covering the ground, shivering when he spotted some of the creatures scuttling around the base of the tree. "Ugh..." He groaned, wrinkling his nose as he reluctantly slowed.

 _"Gross."_ Zahra agreed, grimacing as she tried to avoid looking at the creatures, clearly remembering the previous times the school had been attacked by the arachnids.

"Oh god, why'd it have to be spiders..?" Diego whimpered, shivering as Quinn gripped his hand reassuringly, the group forming a circle as they tried to navigate the webs without turning their backs on the creatures.

"It's..." Aleister sighed, clearing his throat as he grimaced around the forest distastefully. "Become rather a recurring theme, lately." He admitted, as Quinn carefully pulled Diego closer to her, moving them both away from a spider infested tree.

"Just, try to avoid them." She advised, biting her lip as she glanced over her shoulder to Taylor with a hopeful expression. "They might not attack if-" Quinn gasped and broke off abruptly at a loud rustling.

Moments later, Rebecca crashed through the underbrush, frantically clawing spider webs from her hair. " _Ew ew ew ew ew._.!" She cried, not looking where she was going in her distress. She turned, running straight towards a dead bush which was covered in spiders and webs alike.

"New plan..." Taylor balked, his heart racing with a sudden lurch, as he urgently began to fumble with his pockets. "Becca, _wait!"_ He cried, causing Rebecca to look up suddenly, her eyes widening ss she saw the spider covered bush.

 _"Urgh..!"_ She gasped, skidding to a stop as Taylor pulled Sean's make shift flamethrower from his pockets, flicking open the lighter with a hard flare at the bush.

"Lets light these ugly bastards up..." He said, shooting a hot plume of flames right into the bush, the dead wood and spiders immediately catching fire. "Burn, baby, _burn!"_ He crowed, grimacing as spiders hissed and shrieked, scattering in all directions. By the time the flames finally began to die down, not a single living spider remained in sight.

"Wow..." Rebecca choked, stumbling over to him and throwing her arms around his shoulders, trembling in obvious relief. "And here I thought I knew all the weird ways to use hairspray!"

"It's a versatile product." Taylor snickered, bumping his forehead to Rebecca's cheek affectionately. He smiled at her, nudging her away gently so he could return his items to his pockets, before taking her hand and leading the others away, carefully picking their way through the sea of now empty webs to the other side of the clearing.

After leaving the spider infested grove behind them, Taylor snorted, as Rebecca squealed happily and threw her arms around Diego, falling back with their startled friend and Quinn as they barraged him with questions and filled him in on things he'd missed. Taylor smiled crookedly, glancing back regularly as he quietly led then through the woods in search of Raj and Sean. "Come on, everyone stay together..." He warned, as Quinn, Rebecca and Diego dropped behind slightly too far for his liking. "I just found you guys, and I'm _not_ about to lose you again."

"No arguments here..." Rebecca huffed, shuddering as she and Quinn linked their arms with Diego and hurried to catch up.

"I must admit I am... concerned, about Raj." Aleister said reluctantly, as Taylor raised a brow at him, recalling the pairs clashing attitudes of late. "We have not come across so much of a sign as to his whereabouts!" He said defensively, his cheeks staining pink as Taylor smirked knowingly.

"Maybe, he found Sean already, and they're laying low?" Quinn suggested, glancing around the woods hopefully as she worried her lip.

"Maybe they _both_ got eaten." Zahra snarked, shrugging her shoulders dismissively when Taylor threw her a withering glare in response.

"I'm gonna try texting Raj..." Taylor said, pulling his phone from his pocket and blinking in surprise, when he saw he had a new text message. _"Jake..."_ He whispered, stopping dead in his tracks as his heart clenched nervously.

"What is it?" Rebecca demanded, immediately pushing forward to stand beside him and peer over his shoulder. "Is he alright?" She asked, looking up at Taylor pleadingly. "I tried to text him, but I think I broke my phone durin' the fight earlier..."

"Does he know what happened at the school after we left?" Aleister asked hesitantly, his eyes flashing with concern as Taylor glanced at him, his finger hovering uncertainly over the pilots message. "I... I hope everyone else made it out..." He said awkwardly, as Taylors heart lurched in understanding.

"I don't know..." He admitted, swallowing thickly as he hesitated to open the message, desperately wishing to, but uncertain he would be able to remain focused if he allowed his thoughts to turn to the pilot.

"Go ahead and answer, if you want." Zahra said quietly, nudging him with her shoulder. "We'll watch your back." She said, as Taylor bit his lip, his thumb hovering over the text notification as he wrestled with his surging emotions.

"I.." He began, before glancing around and taking a few steps away from the group, taking a deep breath as he finally opened the message. His heart ached at the sight of the pilots messages, longing to speak with him; but not daring to call, not trusting himself to be strong enough to remain in the woods, if he should hear the pilots voice.

 **You guys okay in there?** Jake asked, his sense of urgency easy to depict from his rushed messages. **I'm sorry, I know this is a really stupid time to be textin ya, but**... Taylors heart lurched, and he sucked in another shaky breath, as he leaned against a tree, and slowly slid to his knees. **Just... if ya get a minute, please... lemme know ya alive?** The pilot asked, and Taylor had to wipe his eyes at the sense of frustration, longing and unusual hesitancy in his messages.

 **Hey, Top Gun**... He sent back, a small crooked smile forming on his lips, as he imagined the pilots relief, palpable even across the distance between them. **We're alive... for now, at least.**

 **Thank god**. Jake quickly replied, and Taylor closed his eyes briefly, imagining the pilots fierce embrace around him. **And Becca? She ain't answerin her phone...** He opened his eyes to find a new message, and  he chuckled as he quickly replied, hoping to alleviate the pilots fears.

 **She's here, being a total badass**. He said, smirking as he peeked up at the fiery redhead discreetly. **She's gonna need a new phone, after swinging her purse around like a mace**.

 **Ha! That's my sister**... Jake replied smugly, and Taylor laughed quietly at the pride in such few words. His smile faded, a frown forming as he remembered the pilots injury.

 **What about you?** He demanded suddenly, his concern for the pilot spiking, as he thought of the blood he'd lost. **Are you okay?**

 **Better.** Jake sent back quickly, easing Taylors worries before they could escalate. **Cops showed up with more emergency personnel**... **Some very nice but very freaked out nurses dragged me into an exam room.** The pilot explained, as Taylor grimaced at his phone, a hot and irrational surge of jealousy curling in his stomach. **Gave me about twenty stitches in my side.**

 **Ouch...** Taylor replied, fidgeting uncomfortably as he tried to push back the strange feeling in his gut, telling himself he was being irrational. He glanced up at Rebecca, his cheeks dusted with pink as he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Jake's okay... He's had some nurses tend to him, and he has about twenty stitches, but he's doing better."

"Oh, thank god." Rebecca sighed I relief, sagging against Diego as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a hug.

Taylor looked down as his phone pinged again, a surprised laugh escaping him before he quickly bit his lip. **It's okay. At least I'll have a sexy scar, right? Plus, ya can always kiss it better for me, soon as ya back**...

 **Oh, I can, can I?** Taylor replied, snickering as he hunched his shoulders and tried to contain the rush of giddy affection he felt at the pilots teasing.

 **Definitely.** Jake replied, a winking emoji attached to the end of his message which made Taylor chuckle. His smile faded however, at the pilots follow up message. **I got off way better than Estela, at  any rate.**

 **Is Estela okay?**! Taylor demanded urgently, holding his breath and tapping his finger against the side of his phone, as he impatiently waited for the pilot to respond.

 **I dunno, to be honest**... Jake admitted, and Taylor could imagine him sighing in frustration at the confession. **I saw 'em wheel in her in on a stretcher. She was breathin, but... she's pretty messed up.**

"Estela's alive, or at least; she was when she was taken in to the hospital..." Taylor said, looking up to find Aleister's expression flitting through several complex emotions all at once. "But... she's pretty messed up."

"I..." Aleister balked, seeming to wrestle with something as he cleared his throat and took a step back. "Thankyou, Taylor... Please, convey my thanks to Rebecca's brother for me." He finally said, nodding his head stiffly as he turned away for some privacy.

 **Aleister says thanks for the info**... He obediently texted, exhaling a heavy sigh as he recalled the way Estela had been overwhelmed. **Never thought I would say it but... poor Estela. If she hadn't held those monsters off with the table...**

 **Yeah... She saved a lotta people**. Jake replied knowingly, as Taylor swallowed thickly, his throat constricting painfully as he shook his head in awe. **So...** Taylor raised a brow at the sudden, awkward message, his stomach clenching with unease. **I hate to even ask, but... what's happenin in there?** The pilot finally asked, and Taylors breath left him in an explosive sigh, as he tipped his head back against the tree, uncertain where to even begin. **Mom's freakin out hardcore; she's organizin a search party to come after ya...**

 **Don't let her**! Taylor immediately sent back, wincing at the harsh tone of his message **. I mean, its not safe for anyone else to get involved... I found Diego, and I'm keeping Becca safe for you-** his message was only half finished when he accidentally pressed send, surprised by Jake's reply.

 **My names top of her list, Boy Scout**... The pilot admitted, as Taylor bit his lip, his heart melting at the confession **. I'll stall for another hour. After that, ain't nothin gonna keep me outta those woods.**

 **Jake...** Taylor sighed, torn over how to respond to the pilot. He hesitantly tapped out a message, his finger hovering over the send button for an extended heartbeat, before finally tapping the screen lightly **. I wish you were here...** He felt his cheeks burn at the confession, and he curled in on himself in embarrassment, until Jake's reply pinged into his inbox only a second later.

 **Me too.** Taylor bit his lip shyly at Jake's message, unable to stop himself from smiling at the bubbling affection in his throat. **I'm goin nuts sittin here, when you guys are in danger.**.. When Jake's second message was followed by a long stretch of silence, Taylor slowly began to frown, his heart clenching in his chest uneasily. He was just about to ask if the pilot were okay, when another message finally arrived. **They actually handcuffed me to a chair, after my third escape attempt.**  

Taylor choked, his eyes wide at the pilots confession, sensing his obvious reluctance to admit such a thing. **Are you serious?**! He demanded, scowling at his phone in mounting irritation.

 **I'd send ya a picture, but its kinda hard to get a good angle**. Jake replied, as Taylor shook his head and blinked, re-reading the message to be sure he'd not misunderstood it. **If they ain't taken 'em off soon, I'm gonna pick it and sneak out while they change guard.**

 **Jake, no!** Taylor scolded, his heart racing as he tried to think of how to dissuade the pilot. Before he could type another word however, Jake had already sent another message.

 **Dammit... I gotta go, Boy Scout.** The pilot said, his reluctance clear despite the distance between them. **Cops are here. Looks like its friendly interrogation time**. Taylor bit his lip, imagining the pilots cocky smirk as his heart lurched painfully.

 **One last thing**... He sent quickly, his breath catching in his throat as his fingers flew across his phone screen, sending a message before he could stop himself. **I think I love you.**

His heart raced, blood pounding in his ears, as Jake remained distressingly silent for a heartbeat too long, before finally replying. **Are ya serious**? He demanded, and Taylor winced at the sharp tone of the message.

 **Sorry...** He sent quickly, swallowing against the bitter taste of disappointment in the back of his throat, his eyes stinging with the churning sense of rejection in his gut. **I know, my timing is terrible. But I wanted you to know... ya know, incase I'm about to die, and all...** He swallowed heavily, dragging in an uneven breath as his chest hitched. **I needed you to know.** He sent, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve, as he tried to hold back a chest wracking sob.

 **Taylor, ya ain't allowed to die.** Jake replied almost instantly, and Taylor couldn't help but smile at the forceful order, despite the swirl of nausea in his stomach.

 **Oh yeah?** He sent back, chuckling to try and alleviate the disappointment he felt, determined to make his potentially last moments with the pilot as fun filled and affectionate as the rest of their budding relationship. **And why's that? You wanna kick my ass personally for endangering your sister**? He tried to tease, though he felt no sense of amusement from it.

 **No, ya goddamn idiot**. Jake replied, as Taylors brows rose at the obvious frustration in the pilots rough message. **Because I bloody well love you too.** Taylor choked, slamming his hand over his mouth as his shoulders shook with rough, but joyful sobs. A beautiful, if trembling smile broke out on his face, his heart suddenly feeling as if it were floating in his chest, as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to his phone.

After a few seconds to revel in the sudden rush of relief and joy which flooded through him, Taylor raised his head with a determined sniff, biting his lip as he grinned at his phone. **Well, in that case**... He sent teasingly, too excited to wait before sending his follow up message. **I guess I better live**. He added, choking on a giddy half sob and half laugh, as he bit his thumb nail. 

 **Damn right.** Jake replied, and Taylor couldn't help but snigger at the determined order, as he imagined the cocky grin Jake would be wearing.

 **This means more sex, like earlier, right**? He clarified, his cheeks burning fiercely, though he couldn't bring himself to regret the message, instead imagining he'd startled a laugh from the pilot. 

 **A lot more.** Jake agreed, attaching several winking emojis to the end of his message, making Taylor laugh at his obvious enthusiasm.

He drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he relished the sense of belonging and rightness which overwhelmed him. **I uh, guess you need to go... huh?**

 **Yeah... But it ain't gonna be for long. An hour, remember**? Jake reminded him, as Taylor smiled and ducked his head shyly. **Then I'm comin for ya.** The pilot promised, as Taylors eyes welled with tears. **Dumbass shadow monsters be damned. I'll kick its ass all the way back to hell myself...**

 **Jake...** Taylor scolded, though he smiled as he shook his head fondly, unable to feel anything but blissful over the pilots affection for him. **Goodbye, Top Gun**. He sent, about to put his phone away, when a new message immediately pinged into his inbox.

 **No.** Jake said firmly, and Taylors brows rose in surprise at the vehemence in his follow up message. **Not goodbye.** The pilot demanded, as Taylor bit his lip guiltily. **I'll see ya soon, Taylor. Real soon. Handcuffs be damned.**

Taylor flushed, warmth suffusing him as he smiled at his phone. **Okay...** He replied, swallowing thickly as he tried to sift through the giddy emotions which were running rampant through him. **See you soon**. He agreed, sighing as he locked his phone and wrapped his arms around himself, allowing himself another moment to bask in the radiance of his happiness.

 _Because I bloody well love you too_. He giggled, covering his mouth with his hand again as he closed his eyes and felt tears roll over his cheeks, his heart lighter than he recalled it being in over a decade. _Oh god... I can't believe I just confessed by text. I can't believe he said it back... Oh god, oh god, oh god._.. He sucked in a deep, unsteady breath, wiping his eyes with a giddy chuckle as he leaned his head back aahinsy the trees and opened his eyes to look up ay the stars through the canopy.

Finally, he managed to wrestle his gleeful emotions back under his control, and he pushed himself up against the tree as he cleared his throat. "Okay, so... apparently, most people made it out of the school okay." He said, unable to keep the smile from his fave as he walked back to his friends and pocketed his phone.

"Why're ya smilin' like that? I don't trust that look..." Rebecca said suspiciously, raisng a brow when Taylor merely shrugged at her in reply and grinned all the wider.

"More importantly, Taylor... What the hell is _this?"_ Diego asked, holding up an envelope with his name on it. He raised his brow at his friend, as Taylor merely rolled his eyes at him.

"Dude, I said you could borrow my jacket, not that you needed to go rummaging through my pockets." He huffed, though he felt no ire for his friends nosiness. "I'll overlook it this once, but put it away for now. Read it later, once we've found the other and we're all outta here." He said, gently taking the envelope and tucking it back into his jackets inner pocket.

"Okay, I'm with Becca..." Diego said, frowning at Taylors laid back attitude. "This whole calm thing is freaking me out here... What the hell were you just doing on there..?" He asked, his eyes widening when Taylor blushed and averted his eyes. "Oh my god! Were you se-"

"Whatever you're about to say, _don't_." Taylor snickered, rolling his eyes as his cheeks flared with a vivid blush. "I just... _ahem,_ nevermind." He said, clearing his throat and looking around his friends quickly. "Becca, your moms organizing a search party for us... Jake said he'd stall for an hour, but then he's leading the-"

"Taylor, look out!" Rebecca cried in sudden urgency, her eyes widening as she shifted her gaze to something over Taylors shoulder.

"Huh?" He wondered aloud, half turning as his eyes widened, upon seeing one of Redfield's skeletal beasts leapt out from behind a tree. _"Aaaah!"_ He choked, as the creature tackled him to the ground. He grimaced, struggling to push it away, as yellowed fangs snapped just inches from his throat. "Get... _off_ of me! I _just_ got ordered _not_ to die!" He complained, as the monster slowly overpowered him and sank closer to his vulnerable flesh.

At that moment however, a snarl tore through the air, and Furball darted through the undergrowth; tiny icicles bombarding the creature and drawing its attention. Furball growled, slamming full force into the creature and knocking it off of Taylor.  _"Furball!"_ He choked, grinning as the blue fox stood guard before him, his fur standing on end as frost began to form beneath his paws. "Holy crap, am I glad to see _you..."_ He huffed, as the blue fox yipped and grumbled, his eyes locked on the vine monster determinedly.

Just as the beast lunged at Furball, another body crashed into it. Taylors eyes widened, as he watched Tetra and Redfield's identical creature roll around in the dirt, snapping and snarling at each other viciously. After a fraught and intense fight, Tetra finally gained the advantage, landing a powerful kick with his hind legs which launched the other creature into the air. "Aw, whose my good undead boy?!" Taylor cheered, as the other creature yelped and flailed, landing awkwardly on the ground and cracking several bones. It staggered upright, eyes blazing with fury as it snarled at Taylor.

"Come on, ugly..." He taunted, holding out his hand and easily catching Candy when Diego tossed the bat over to him. "We're ready for you this time." He said, as Tetra's hulking form stepped in front of him, snapping and barking viciously. "Oh my god, he's so cute when he's protective! Aw, my Tetra poochie _loves_ me..." Taylor cooed, lowering his bat as Tetra bore down on the injured monster, tearing into it with tooth and claw.

In a matter of seconds, the creature was reduced to nothing but a scattered pile of bones. Tetra snorted at the remains, before trotting up to Taylor and headbutting him gently in the leg. "Whose my good boy?" Taylor praised, dropping to his knees and scratching behind Tetra's ear affectionately. "Ximaedra would've been proud of you... yes she _would."_ He cooed, not noticing his friends gathering around him with varying expressions of distaste over his behaviour.

Furball trotted over to join them, sitting beside the undead beast and the two animals sniffed each other with great concern. "Okay I..." Diego coughed, looking between Furball and Tetra awkwardly. "I don't know if this is cute or just... super weird." He said, shaking his head as he watched Taylor make a fuss of both animals.

"Little of both." Zahra said, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. She smiled however, when Tetra moved closer to her and nudged his bony head against her hand. "Yeah, yeah..." She muttered, grazing his head fondly.

"Lets keep moving." Taylor said, smiling around his friends as he got to his feet. "I've just gotta find my..." He trailed off, as he spotted his phone on the ground nearby, its screen flashing with a new message notification. He picked it up with a small frown, before his eyes widened in sudden surprise. "Guys, it's from _Sean!"_

"Oh, thank god!" Rebecca sighed, resting her hand over her chest. "What did he say?!" She demanded,  hurrying over to his side with the others.

Taylor opened the new message, frowning at Sean's demanding tone. **Where are you guys?** His friend asked, and Taylor hummed as he typed out a message in response.

 **We're coming! Where are you**?! He replied, his tongue in his cheek as he waited for the sports stars reply. _His leg was in really bad shape.._. He recalled, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

 **By the ruins**. Sean text back, as Taylor bit his lip. **Hiding.** He added quickly, and a moment later, yet another message followed it. **My legs messed up... I can't run if they find me.** Taylor felt a rush of guilt strike him, as his doubts continued to eat at him. **Please, hurry...** something really weird's going on here.

 **On our way... Just hold on**! Taylor replied, sighing as he turned his phone for the rest of his friends to see.

"Are... we sure that's _actually_ him?" Zahra asked hesitantly, shifting in discomfort as she gave voice to the thought which Taylor knew they'd all entertained.

"Either way..." He said, sighing as he dropped his phone into his pocket and ran a hand through his hair. "We've got to go... But we'll be careful." He said quietly.

 _"Pfft,_ as careful as we ever are." Diego snorted, rolling his eyes as he folded his arms over his chest and pouted at his friends.

"Even if this isn't a trap, it's still dangerous." Taylor continued, ignoring Diego's sarcastic interruption. "We'll need to be on high alert..."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Rebecca said after a brief moments silence. "Let's go save our homecoming king." She said, taking a deep breath and smiling around them all determinedly.

"Wait, _Sean_ was homecoming king..?" Diego asked, his eyes widening as Quinn giggled and took his arm, falling in behind Taylor as he led then deeper into the forest; Tetra and Furball following faithfully at his heels. 

As they neared the ruins, Taylor began to creep quietly closer to the edge of the clearing, crouching just inside the trees as he scanned the shadows for any sign of movement. "Sean!" He whispered fiercely, pausing to make sure nothing was around to hear him. "Sean, are you here?!"

"I don't see him..." Quinn murmured, slipping up beside him and glancing around the clearing worriedly, her eyes wide as she scanned for sign of their friend or his hiding place.

 _"We seeeeee you..!"_ Came a laughing hiss, as a pair of amber flames blazed to life suddenly, shining from the shadows of the ruins. Tom slowly stepped into the light, holding Sean in front of him like a shield.

"Sean! Oh my _god..."_ Diego gasped, his eyes widening as he beheld the ragged state the athlete was in. Sean's left leg was bent at an unnatural angle, blood soaking through the leg of his suit. 

He gasped in pain, as Tom pulled him into the light. _"Hrrnnn..."_ Sean groaned, throwing an agonized look over his shoulder. "Tom, what the _hell?!_ Snap out of it, man!"

"We've got Tom outnumbered..." Zahra muttered quietly, slipping up to Taylors other side. "I bet we could take him down without any damage." She said, shrugging her shoulders at Taylors sharp glance and raised brow. "... _Permanent_ damage." She corrected, flipping her life in her hand.

"It's a significant risk... do we have no other options?" Aleister asked thoughtfully, glancing at around them all quickly. "Taylor was able to help Diego break free of Mr. Reds control, after all."

Taylor and Diego shared a look, both debating the chances of such a tactic working again. "What do you think?" Taylor asked, biting his lip uncertainly.

"I think... with Sean's help, we could get through to him." Diego admitted, offering his best friend a small smile, as he clapped his hand on his shoulder gently. "I think the deeper the relationship, the better the chance of success..."

"Dude, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it..." Taylor sniffed, wrinkling his nose at his friend with a fond grin. "That was _so_ gay. Like, super-"

"It's worth a try, at least..." Rebecca said loudly, talking over Taylor as she swatted him on the arm with the first beginnings of a scowl.

"We have to try... We can't just leave a friend like this." Taylor finally agreed, narrowing his eyes as he gazed across the clearing determinedly.

Diego smiled at him gratefully, nodding in agreement. "Do you _know_ how proud I am to be your friend, Taylor?" He said, knocking his fist gently to Taylors jaw, as he snorted and shoved Diego away playfully.

"Okay, not to interrupt your whole, bromance thing here, but can we get back on topic?" Zahra snarked, frowning between them both. "Now, I dunno about _you_ guys, but I left my exorcism kit at home this morning... So, how exactly are we gonna do this?" She asked, as Taylor hummed and pushed to his feet slowly.

"I think I know..." He said quietly, raising his palms in placation as he stepped forward into the clearing, ignoring the startled protests of his friends. Tom bared his teeth at him, snarling as Sean struggled weakly against his grip.

"Taylor, man, what are you doing?" The athlete asked worriedly, his eyes dancing with fear as he watched Taylor slowly approach.

"It's gonna be okay, Sean." Taylor replied, avoiding his friends question as he tried to project a sense of confidence with his words. He turned his attention to Tom, wincing as his unnatural grip on Sean tightened.

" _Sssstay back_!" Tom growled, his blazing eyes narrowing distrustfully, as Taylor took another slow, deliberate step forward.

"Hey, I'm not here to fight." He said softly, shaking his head slowly. "Just... maybe you could ease up on Sean a little? He's pretty hurt." He said, gesturing to Sean's leg.

 _"Sean..."_ Tom said, his eyes slowly widening in both confusion and concern. _"Hhhhurt?"_ He asked, staring at Taylor uncertainly for a moment. When Taylor gently gestured to Sean's broken leg, Tom followed the motion with his eyes and looked down, gasping in surprise and dropping his friend, as he beheld his injury.

 _"Whoa!"_ Sean gasped, crumpling to the ground. Taylor hurried over to his friend, as Tom backed away, staring at Sean in a mixture of horror and confusion.

" _Hurt... Sean_..." Tom groaned, holding his head and shaking it slowly, as if in pain. He continued to mumble to himself, as Taylor helped Sean to sit up.

"Taylor, what's going on with him?" He asked worriedly, watching Tom as he struggled with his confliction. "How do we get him back?" He wondered, his eyes locked onto his friend in concern.

 _"We_ don't." Taylor said gently, gripping Sean's hand and drawing his attention from Tom's ongoing struggle. _"You_ do." He said, squeezing Sean's hand encouragingly, as he smiled at him. "He's your best friend... make _him_ remember that." He said, nudging Sean's shoulder gently and tipping his chin towards Tom.

Sean nodded, gritting his teeth against the pain as Taylor withdrew, leaving him to prop himself on his elbows so he could look at Taylor. "Tom... Do you remember that time I tried to grow my hair out? A few year back?" He asked after a long moments pause, frowning as he recalled the long past memory. "Man, that first day after the holidays was hell... The other kids called me names, and the grown ups kept giving me dirty looks... Do you remember, what _you_ did?" He asked gently.

Tom cocked his head, his blazing eyes darting suspiciously from Taylor to Sean. He growled uncertainly, his distrust palpable as he hunched in on himself. "You ran right up to me, and ruffled my hair." Sean continued, smiling fondly despite his obvious pain. "And you said; 'Sean, look! We're twins!'" He chuckled as he reached out with his hand, causing Tom to shy away like a wild animal. Sean's face fell, as he swallowed thickly, his eyes glazing with grief. "Tom, I don't think I ever told you, but... you probably saved my life."

"I..." Tom choked, staring at Sean in disbelief, as Taylor felt his heart constrict painfully, watching the emotions flitting over Tom's face.

"I went through so much, with my dad... and what he did to me and momma." Sean said, as Taylor lowered his eyes and tried not to listen. "I could never talk to her about it, and though my friends did come through for me to help-" he said, reaching for Taylors hand and squeezing it gently. "We still, drifted again afterwards... And, I couldn't bring myself to admit what had happened, to my other friends, like Craig and Michelle. Without you... I'm honestly not sure I would be here right now."

Tom's wide eyes blazed fiercely, and he stared at Sean's extended hand uncertainly, as if afraid it might bite him. "Just one more little nudge, Sean... He's _so_ close..." Taylor whispered, nudging his friends shoulder gently. "Hey, Tom... I think Sean needs a hug!" He called, smirking at Sean when he glanced at him in surprise.

Hesitantly, Tom edged closer. Sean smiled in relief, pushing himself as upright as he could manage. "Bro hug?" He asked, grinning at Tom hopefully. Taylor stared in wonder, as a Tom smiled slowly and colour began to flow back into his face.

"Bro hug." He said fondly, crouching beside Sean and embracing him tightly. Taylor smiled, as his friends cheered and whooped from the trees, rushing over to join him and bundle him into a group hug. For a long moment, nobody said anything, not wanting to spoil the moment. Finally, Tom pulled back, looking around with obvious curiosity. "Uh, hang on... Where the _hell_ are we?" Taylor and Sean exchanged a look, each uncertain of how to explain. Tom looked from Sean to Taylor, to the group of their friends surrounding him. "Uh, what are you guys all doing in the woods? In... _formalwear?"_ He pressed, frowning in continued confusion.

"Uh..." Taylor hummed, clearing his throat awkwardly. "We are... shooting a music video!" He said quickly, glancing around with a scowl as his friends all sighed and groaned.

"Really?" Tom gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor in surprise, not noticing the others and their varying expressions of disbelief. "I didn't know you guys were in a band..!"

"Oh yeah..." Taylor scoffed, clearing his throat as he gestured around the group. "I'm lead guitar. Sean's on drums, and Zahra's... uh..." He trailed off, biting his lip uncertainly.

"Cowbell." Sean said blandly, scowling at Taylor in frustration for having settled on such an unlikely explanation for their location.

"Cool..." Tom said, nodding his head thoughtfully. "So, how come I've never heard of you guys doing gigs, or..." He trailed off, his eyes widening in shock as he looked down at Sean's bloodstained leg. "Holy crap, Sean! What the heck happened to your _leg?!"_ He asked, staring in horror at the messy break. 

Sean put a hand on his friends shoulder, giving him a weak smile. "Look, I swear I'll explain everything later." Sean promised, glancing at Taylor nervously. "But right _now..._ I really need you to run out to the road, and call an ambulance, okay?" He asked, peering at his friend intently.

"Of course!" Tom assured, grabbing Sean's hand from his shoulder and squeezing it tightly. "I'll go right now!" He said, jumping to his feet quickly, only to hesitate. "You guys all take care of him, okay? This is my best friend we're talking about..."

"I'll protect him with my life." Taylor promised, smiling as Tom offered his hand, clasping it briefly in a single firm shake. "Promise."

"Cool." Tom said, his shoulders slumping in relief. He pulled his phone from his pocket, and took off into the trees, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Taylors friends moved to join them, sighing in relief as they all converged around Sean in concern. "Thank god..!" Rebecca huffed, her hand settling on Sean's cheek on gentle reassurance. "I was pretty scared that wasn't goin' to work!"

"Warn me before you get all sappy next time." Zahra demanded, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest. "I thought I was gonna pass out."

"Thanks, Taylor..." Sean said, reaching up to grip his hand, and wincing as he jostled his leg. "For helping me get through to him."

"All in a days work..." Taylor sighed dramatically, smirking when Sean chuckled and the rest of his friends rolled their eyes. "But, I'm pretty sure you did all the hard work." He said, nudging Sean's shoulder gently.

" _Always fighting for others... never for me, brah._.." A new voice cut into the clearing, startling them as a hulking shape loomed and exited the ruins. " _Not cool, bro.._."

Taylor balked, glancing around his friends as Craig scowled at them, his fiery eyes blazing with betrayal and hatred. He swallowed heavily, drawing in a deep breath as he strode forward; blocking Sean and the rest of his friends from his former tormentor. "Craig." He said, narrowing his eyes as he came to a halt, drawing himself into the fighting stance which Jake had taught him.

Craig hissed at him, stomping forward with the thick muscles of his arms flexing, as Sean's eyes widened and he reached for his former friend. "Craig, no! C'mon man, don't do this!" He pleaded, though the jock ignored him, his furious gaze focused entirely on Taylor. "Don't hurt him, Taylor... He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"Sean, knowing Craig..." Taylor said, ducking under a heavy swing which Craig thrust at his head. "I don't think it'd make much difference if he did!" He huffed, sweeping his legs across the ground and forcing Craig back a step.

The jock growled, lunging at Taylor with his hands extended toward him like claws. Taylor grimaced, holding his breath, before jabbing his fist forward sharply, slamming it into Craig's jaw and diverting the force of his attack, while simultaneously hooking his leg around the jocks ankle. _"Huh?!"_ Craig choked, as he sprawled to the ground. Snarling, he scrambled back to his feet, preparing to attack again.

 _"Don't."_ Taylor barked, scowling at Craig in frustration. "Just grow the hell up already!" He yelled, as Craig paused, his eyes widening in surprise. "God, not everything is about you, you goddamn idiot! Sometimes people just need a little time and space! Get _over_ yourself!" He groused, shaking his head in irritation.

"Move aside, dork." Zahra sneered, shoving Taylor out of the way, as she strode confidently up to Craig and scowled at him, jabbing him in the chest accusingly. "Listen up, loser, 'cause I am _not_ gonna say this again..." She said, as Taylor raised a brow at her in confusion and surprise. "If you meant anything you said last summer, you snap outta this whole zombie schtick, right now; or I..." She paused, scowling at Craig's blank, fiery expression. "Ah, screw it." She growled, stepping forward and gripping the sides of the jocks face and pulling him closer.

Taylors jaw dropped, his eyes widening as he stared in disbelief at the impassioned kiss which Zahra bestowed upon Craig's ashen lips. "I..." He choked, shaking his head as Craig's arms slowly rose around Zahra's waist. A second later however, the jock groaned and fell to the ground in a heap, as Zahra stepped back and delicately wiped her lips with her hand.

"Just so we're clear," Zahra said firmly, turning towards them with a scowl on her face, the blunt handle of her knife twirling in her palm. _"Any_ of you mention this ever again, and I will do a thousand times worse than just knock you out..."

Taylor hummed vaguely, clearing his throat as he looked away and bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh. _"Mmm."_  

"Uh oh..." Zahra said, freezing suddenly as her eyes widened in surprise. "Do you guys hear that too?" She asked hesitantly, tensing as the woods all around them suddenly erupted with the angry howls and shouts if Redfield's creatures.

"I... don't like the sound of that..." Quinn murmured, shivering as she frowned and looked around the clearing distrustfully. 

"I... also dislike the sounds of our imminent demise." Aleister conceded reluctantly, stepping in front of Quinn and Rebecca to place himself before them; as the tree line came to life with monsters, slowly closing in from all sides.

" _No more running_..." A stone goliath warned, lumbering slowly through the trees with its massive arms raised menacingly.

" _Nnnnnnno more hiding_..." Mrs. Montoya hissed lowly, her eyes glittering with malicious glee, as the monsters crowded in on Taylors group of friends.

"Uh oh..." Taylor mumbled, reaching to his back for his pole saw. He yanked at the starter cord, but the engine stalled, failing to catch or roar to life.

"Tell me you guys have a plan?" Sean asked, his face falling into a grimace as Diego and Rebecca helped him to his feet, bracing his weight between them.

"Uh... 'save Sean and Diego' was pretty much as far as we got..." Rebecca admitted, swallowing nervously as she glanced around the approaching monsters.

"No _way_ we can fight through all that!" Diego choked, his eyes wide as he shivered; the entire group backing up a step, forced back towards the ruins, just as a voice called out from the stone doorway.

"Doodlejumps!" Raj cried urgently, hollering as loud as he could over the snarling creatures surrounding them. "This way!"

 _"Raj?!"_ Taylor called, relief flooding his heart as he glanced back to see their final missing friend. "Thank god you're okay!" He called, facing forwards again as he held off the advancing monsters as best as he could with his pole saw. "We were worried the monsters got to you!"

"I..." Raj called, his voice quaking nervously. "I'm glad you're okay too." He said, as Taylor grimaced and swung his pole saw into a growling vine creature, as it leapt at him with its fangs bared. "Dudes, these monsters are gonna get _everyone_ if you guys don't get inside, quick!"

"You want us to go in _there?!"_ Quinn cried, her eyes widening in shock and disgust, as she turned towards the ruins in obvious horror.

"You got a better idea?" Raj called back, as the group took a moment to exchange uncertain glances. They back up another unwilling step, forced back by the swarm of monsters approachig them.

"... I don't think we have a choice, guys." Taylor admitted quietly, swallowing heavily and taking a deep breath, as he readjusted his grip on his pole saw. "You guys help Sean inside... I'll cover our retreat." He said determinedly, slamming his pole saw into the chest of a stone monster and reducing it to rubble.

"Taylor..." Rebecca called hesitantly, before finally turning away with a reluctant sigh. "Be careful." She warned, as Taylor harnessed his pole saw and held out his hand, whistling sharply to Diego. 

"What she said, assbutt." Diego said, grimacing sourly as Raj ushered everyone into the ruins, tossing Candy through the air to Taylors open and waiting hand.

"Get going." Taylor said quietly, swallowing thickly as he snatched the bat from the air. He met Diego's concerned gaze for another moment, before jerking his chin towards the ruins. He hefted Candy in his hand, as he turned to face the slowly advancing horde. He gave ground one agonisingly slow step at a time, his eyes ever darting for any signs of fast movement. "Steady, beasties..." He murmured, narrowing his eyes intently as the monsters snarled at him viciously.

Furball growled low in his chest, stepping up beside the ruins doorway and standing guard, as Taylors friends rapidly disappeared within. "Get inside, Furball... Its not safe!" Taylor called over his shoulder, fear for the fox stabbing at his heart. Furball growled again, tiny snowflakes forming in the air around him, as he stubbornly refused to leave his post.

"Taylor, come on, dude!" Raj called urgently, peering through the doorway with a desperate gaze. "Everyone else is inside!" He yelled, as Tetra snarled viciously, standing in the middle of the clearing and facing down the tide of monsters with his teeth bared.

Taylor drew in a deep breath, and finally made a break for the ruins. When he reached the door, he turned back to take one last look at his pursuers. " _Time to play_..." Ben hissed from the shadows at the edge of the clearing, his blazing eyes like lamps in the darkness.

Taylor panted harshly, staring out into the clearing where Tetra stood firmly between the ruins and the swarm; while Furball guarded the doorway itself. "Come _on!"_ Raj demanded insistently, as Taylor finally nodded and stepped through the door into the dark space inside.

He walked only a short distance, coming to a stop in the middle of the room, squinting into the darkness. "Wait... where is everybody?" He asked, frowning at the silence which greeted him, his friends noticeably missing.

Behind him, Raj turned away from the door, both hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. "They're all waiting for us... downstairs." He said quietly, as Taylors eyes widened and he whirled on his friend in shock and distress.

 _"Downstairs?!"_ He demanded, choking on the cloying fear which rose like bile in his throat, trying to suffocate him. "You mean the cavern? What the _hell,_ Raj?! We can _not_ go down there!" He cried, shaking his head in disbelief and raking a hand through his hair.

"Why not?" Raj asked calmly, standing oddly still and quiet, as he blocked the only exit.

"Because its exactly what Redfield wants!" Taylor cried, scowling at his friend in disbelief of his thoughtlessness. "We need to get everyone _out_ of there." He insisted, his haze hardening in determination.

Raj walked towards him, smiling reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay, doodlejump..." He said quietly, as Taylor raised a brow at his unusually calm façade. "I've figured it all out."

"Huh?" Taylor frowned, shaking his head at his friends cryptic words. "Figured what-" he began, breaking off with a yelp as Raj suddenly lunged forward, using his superior size to grab hold of his arm. _"Hey!"_ Taylor cried, struggling to braal free of his friends tight grasp; and in their tussle, a cell phone fell from Raj's pocket. "Wha... that's Sean's phone!" He gasped, momentarily distractedly, allowing Raj to jerk Candy from his grasp and toss the bat aside. "Why do you have Sean's phone?!" Taylor demanded, recovering his strength and renewing his struggles, as his expression darkened.

"I... I needed everyone to come here." Raj explained, his expression crumpling with guilt, even as he overpowered Taylor and forced him to cease his struggles. "It was the only way, dude."

"Raj..." Taylor choked, shaking his head as he tried to understand what was happening. "Why are you doing this..? We're your _friends!_ How could you lure us right into Redfield's hands?!" He said, his voice wavering in his rising distress, as he took a step back from his friend.

"You don't understand, little dude..." Raj whispered brokenly, pulling his other hand free of his pocket, to reveal he was holding Zahra's knife. "Redfield... Rourke... Whatever or _whoever_ it was back then; they're not here anymore. They haven't been here, for ten years, dude..."

Taylor shook his head mutely, his heart thudding painfully against his chest as he backed up another step, fear and nausea swirling ominously in his gut. With Zahra's blade held towards Taylors throat, Raj nodded down at the floor, to where the name 'Redfield' lay carved into the stone.

Taylor reluctantly followed Raj's eyes, lowering them to the jaggedly scratched words as all around him, the darkness seemed to thrum with energy. A cold pressure filled the room, one which was both completely alien; and terrifyingly familiar. "No..." Taylor choked, his eyes widening even as they filled with tears, a knowing sense of foreboding gnawing at his suddenly hollow heart. "No, no, no..." He pleaded as an unseen hand reached out, slowly drawing a thin line through the word which had been written for him, so many years ago. Slowly, agonisingly slowly, a new word appeared. A name which struck fear, pain and terror into Taylors heart; and drowned him in his long carried guilt.

_Kele._


	19. Are You Scared?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah ha ha haaaa...
> 
> I... well. This has been an emltional journe, i cant deny. I hipe this all comes together well - and you enjoy(?) It! I still have the final chapter of the game to write up, and my epilogue... but still; i wanna say now that your support has meant soooooo much to me!  
> I qould never get these things written, if you didnt all inspire me to go on with my odeas... so thankyou so much. And your comments have been... amazing. Thankypu.
> 
> With that saud... im gonna leave you to it ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**19.**

**Everyone Plays Together**.

Taylor swallowed thickly, his heart racing frantically in his chest, its rapid tempo increasing with every step he took. The point of Zahra's knife pressed into the small of his back, as Raj marched him down a sickeningly familiar, dark staircase. "Raj... I don't understand." He said again, shaking his head as he futilely tried to reason with his friend. "Why are you _doing_ this?!" He demanded, panic swelling in his throat like a banshee's scream.

"Trust me, dude..." Raj muttered quietly, nudging the tip of the blade slightly harder against Taylors back, encouraging him to walk faster. "Everything will make sense in a minute."

"Uh, how the hell can I trust you, when you're pointing a goddamn knife at me?!" Taylor demanded, half hysterical as he stepped ever closer to the scene of his every worst nightmare and memory.

"Taylor... _please,_ dude." Raj sighed, his hand jostling Taylors shoulder gently but firmly. "Just walk." He said, guiding Taylor across the cavern toward a familiar circle of chairs, where his friends were already seated; frantically struggling against invisible bonds.

"Raj," Aleister sneered, his piercing eyes narrowing at the large boy furiously. "I don't know what the devil is going on here, but I _demand_ you release us!"

"And give me back my knife," Zahra snarled, glaring at Raj with a hateful snarl twisting her lips, one crimson eye hidden behind her Mohawk. "You backstabbing, traitorous, goddamn _skag!"_

Raj ignored their friends scathing comments, shoving Taylor towards an empty seat. _"Oof!"_ Taylor stumbled, nearly falling from the rough treatment, and turned to glare at his friend reproachfully. "Raj, there's still time to stop this!" He pleaded, his muscles tensing with the urge to flee the cavern, despite the terror which locked him into place; that he would lose yet another friend.

"I couldn't stop it now, even if I wanted to." Raj said simply, shaking his head regretfully. "We don't have a choice little doodlejumps. We _have_ to do this." He said, gesturing to the empty seat beside Taylor with the gleaming blade of Zahra's knife.

Across the circle, Sean's broken leg hung crookedly, as he snarled through tightly gritted teeth. "When I get out of this chair, I'm gonna break my other leg... _kicking your ass!_ " He promised, hissing as he struggled against the force holding him in his chair, as he jostled his injured leg.

"Just _talk_ to us, Raj!" Diego urged, his eyes wide as he stared at their large friend with disbelief. "What do you want?" He asked, swallowing thickly as he shook his head in confusion. "Why are you _doing_ this?"

"Because he's _trapped_ here..." Raj choked brokenly, sniffing as he wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "And we are the _only_ ones, who can save him." He explained, as he shook his head and cleared his throat, gesturing again for Taylor to sit.

"Raj, while I expect you're incoherent babbling makes some kind of sense to your own, heavily substance abused brain..." Aleister sighed, gritting his teeth in frustration as he glared at the large boy. "I assure you, we require far more information than _that_ to be able to follow you're asinine thought process! Now please, enlighten us. _Who_ is trapped?!" He demanded hotly, growling as his temper flared.

Raj scowled, looking around the group of uncomprehending faces. "Kele." He finally said, ignorant of the desperate ache in Taylors heart which the name caused.

"Kele is _dead,_ Raj!" Rebecca sneered, her lip curling in irritation as she glared at Raj furiously. "He's been dead for ten damn years!" She said scathingly, shaking her head in disgust.

"No... he hasn't." Raj said softly, his eyes watering as he looked around the circle of stunned faces slowly. "Kele is right here." He said, his expression slowly morphing into a determined grimace. "Kele; is Redfield." He explained, narrowing his eyes as silence fell over the group; everyone staring at him in shock.

"No..." Quinn finally said, breaking the awkward silence hanging over them, as she shook her head slowly. "No, that can't be..!" Taylor drew in a deep breath as she haltingly denied Raj's announcement, trying to ease his tumultuous emotions. 

"Taylor," Zahra demanded, noticing his lack of a reaction to Raj's revelation. "Uh, what the _hell_ is this giant loser talking about?!" 

Taylor shook his head mutely, finally looking around his friends with am uncertain gaze. "I..." He stammered, swallowing heavily against the bile which tried to rise in his throat. "It's true... Kele, _is_ Redfield. Bonded, just like Rourke before..." He said, lowering his eyes to the floor as shame and guilt consumed him anew. "Upstairs, I- I saw him scratch out 'Redfield' and... and write 'Kele' underneath."

"It's... it's a trick!" Diego stammered, looking at Taylor and desperately trying to catch the others eyes. "It has to be! Rourke lied before, for all we know he's doing it agai-"

"It's _not_ a trick, dudes!" Raj insisted firmly, gritting his teeth as he scrubbed his jacket sleeve over his eyes, wiping away his fresh tears. "Don't you _see?_ Kele didn't die ten years ago; he took Rourke's place! Became the new Redfield! And now-" he fell silent abruptly, as the shadows began to pulse and quicken. 

Taylor choked, as a familiar longing began to tug at his chest, and he couldn't help but rub at the area distractedly, betrayal in his heart as he looked down at his own body; so strangely drawn by the power. He raised his eyes slowly, as a figure began to bleed out of the darkness, and his stomach lurched at the sound of a voice which he recognized. "... _Friends..."_

"Th-that voice..." Quinn gasped, her face crumpling in horror, as she stared at the shadowy form of Redfield before them all.

"Oh god..." Rebecca choked, shaking her head in disbelief, even as she voiced her own recognition. "It really _is_ him..."

 _"Friends..!"_ Kele giggled childishly, swirling around the outside of the group like a strangely graceful shark. _"Friends!"_ He chanted gleefully, his shadowy form weaving between them all joyfully.

"I... I fail to understand..." Aleister sneered, frowning at the giddy, dancing shadow monster. "What does he wish from us, _precisely?!"_ He demanded, his temper returning as his shock began to fade.

"The same thing we want, doodlejumps..." Raj said, sniffing away his tears as he watched the shadowy form of Kele twirl and glide with child-like joy around them all. "To do the ritual. To _finish_ this."

"Uh, Raj?" Taylor coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to push away the strange urge to reach out to the shadow monster, desperately wishing he could feel nothing but hatred for the being. "We already _did_ the ritual!"

"Not the right one, dude... Not _our_ ritual." Raj explained slowly, his tone oddly gently as he continued to watch the familiar shadowy being with an expression of longing. "Don't you get it yet?" The large boy sighed, turning back to Taylor with an imploring look.

"... we changed the rules." Zahra said slowly, her eyes widening as she looked over at Taylor in sudden understanding. He looked back at her horrified expression, and groaned as he realised he'd been a fool; overlooking what had been right in front of him. "You said it yourself... We had a different set of rules, we just never figured out what they were." She said, shaking her head as her gaze turned distant, seeming to look through Taylor as she turned her mind to her memories. "Ximaedra told us... the Power and its followers are bound by the rules; that _they_ create."

"And so Ximaedra's ritual didn't work 'cause it weren't ours?" Rebecca guessed, frowning as she followed Zahra's trail of thought, looking over to Taylor as he buried his face in his palms in grief. "Then what-"

 _"Play..."_ Kele hummed eagerly, slowly coming to a stop as his eyes gleamed in the darkness of his shadowy form. Taylor slowly lowered his hands from his face, looking up to meet his once best friends gaze; and his blood ran cold.

"It's the game..." He choked, his heart faltering and clenching painfully in his chest. "He's gonna make us play the game again!" He said, his voice rising as panic swept through him, utterly consumed by his guilt and grief.

 _"Are you scared_?" Kele whispered gleefully, his childish voice twisted by darkness and malice.

Taylor swallowed heavily, forcing himself to look away from the shadowy being, turning to stare at Raj in disbelief. "Raj... we _can't_ do this! _Please!"_

"Yeah, I don't know if you remember, but the last time we played Are You Scared with Mr. Red?" Zahra snarled, scowling at Raj hatefully as he stood his ground determinedly, despite the noticeable trembling in his hand. "Someone _died."_

"Aren't you listening?!" He replied, his expression darkening as he turned to Zahra with a reproachful glare. "Kele _didn't_ die! He's been right _here,_ all along!"

 _"All along..."_ Kele groaned, his lamp like eyes glowing amid his dark and shadowy body. _"All alooooooone_..." He wailed, looking over at Raj, who met his glowing eyes with a pained expression.

"Raj..." Quinn said quietly, her face rippling with grief as she gazed at the large boy imploringly. "Even if Kele _is_ in there, he's not the same little boy that we knew and played with... He's not your cousin anymore. Can't you _see_ that?" She asked, her brow creasing in concern.

"Sh-shut up, dudette..." Raj said uncertainly, his expression darkening as he shook his head quickly. "He _healed_ you! You'd still be dying if it weren't for him!" He said, though Taylor could see that his eyes were laced with confusion and doubt beneath his determination.

"Really Raj, just think about all this logically for a moment, if you're even capable..." Aleister sneered, grimacing as he glanced at Kele's shadowy form, hovering at the far side of their captive group. "That... foul creature, has hurt people..! _Killed_ people! Are you so blind that you genuinely believe murder is now acceptable?!" The pale boy shook his head in disbelief, his piercing gaze hard as he scowled at Raj furiously.

"He... he doesn't understand what he's doing!" Raj defended, his expression faltering briefly in uncertainty. "He was just trying to help us! Those were..." He paused, sucking in a deep breath before pushing in determinedly. "They were _mistakes!_ Accidents, doodlejumps!"

Kele's shadowy form nodded eagerly, a ragged whisper escaping him as his eyes crinkled in child like glee. _"Accidents!"_ He agreed giddily, flickering among the dark shadows. " _Clumsy clumsy Kele.._."

"Do ya actually believe that horseshit, Raj?!" Rebecca demanded, scowling at the large boy, as she shook her head in disgust. "After _everythin'_ he's done?!" She demanded, raising a pointed brow, as Raj bit his lip hesitantly.

"That's _not_ your cousin anymore, Raj! Just like it wasn't Aleister's... dad..." Diego said, trailing off awkwardly as he glanced at the pale boy, though Aleister's only reaction was a sharp nod of agreement. "Dude, Kele's something _else_ now... He's been twisted! You can't trust him!" He pleaded, struggling at the invisible bonds binding him to his seat.

"No!" Raj insisted, grimacing in determination. "Kele is still in there! He's just... _confused..."_ He added lamely, biting his lip as uncertainty flitted briefly across his face, before he rearranged his expression into a scowl of frustration. "But he told me this would help him! He said... this was the only way!"

"Oh, he _told_ you... Wow, I am _so_ sorry for doubting now then, Raj." Taylor sneered, folding his arms over his chest as he glared at his friend and shook his head. "And just, when did this miraculous revelation come about, huh? Back when we were researching in the library, the day I got suspended? When I found Craig, about to be impaled on a tree outside my house?!" He demanded, his voice rising as his friend winced guiltily. "When, Raj?! What, did you wake him up, before Diego even entered the woods..?" He asked, raising a brow when Raj vehemently shook his head but otherwise seemed incapable of responding. "... How could you believe him, Raj?! You've always been the one to tell us all; trusting Mr. Red, is suicidal..." He said, wiping his stinging eyes in irritation as he scowled at his friend. "Open your goddamn _eyes!_ He's manipulating you! It's what-!"

Taylor fell silent with a growl, as Raj held up Zahra's knife, pointing it at Taylor despite the way his hand trembled. "It... it doesn't matter now." Raj said, shaking his head sadly as he turned his eyes away from them, looking at the floor beside them all. "It won't change anything."

"It might not change anything, but that's not the bloody point!" Taylor fumed, his hands balling into fists as he narrowed eyes furiously. "You brought us down here, you _did_ this to us... You don't get to _do_ that without _some_ sort of explanation! I _demand_ the truth in exchange!" He growled, scowling at the shadowy form of Kele, as it hesitated at the edge of the circle of chairs. "You bloody well _owe_ us that much, Raj! I wanna know _exactly_ when you found out that Kele had taken Redfield's place... _and_ why you didn't tell us." He demanded, his fury fading as his expression crumpled with grief.

"You wanna know so bad, dude, _fine!"_ Raj groused, grimacing as he glanced away briefly and drew in a deep breath. "It was the Sunday... after Michelle's party." He admitted, swallowing heavily as Taylor choked and blinked in shock, his hand rising to his mouth in disbelief. "I'd just had a big fight with my mom. Same old crap, but... it just, really got to me that day. So, I went for a walk..." He said, taking a deep breath as he turned his face to the ceiling. "It was a pretty dull day, all grey and overcast... remember, dud-"

"No, funnily enough I don't." Taylor snapped, barely able to look at his friend as he recalled the awful day he'd been having at the time. "I was kinda busy taking to all those cops who wanted to pin me with attempting to murder Craig." He growled, his jaw snapping shut as he lowered his eyes to the floor.

Raj winced, looking over at him sadly, before clearing his throat and pushing on regardless. "... I was just walking, kicking gravel. Typical moody stuff, doodlejumps, ya know. I was mad... and so _sick_ of being blamed for-" he paused, swallowing thickly as he glances at Kele's shadowy form, flickering behind the group. "I heard some twigs snap behind me, and I told myself it was just a squirrel, but... But when I turned around it was-"

"Redfield." Taylor supplied, shaking his head as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself, trying to contain the guilt which gnawed at his heart.

"Yeah... brazen as anything, stood at the edge of the trees." Raj confirmed, nodding his head slowly. "I turned and ran dude, I think I was moving faster than I ever had, but she I looked back... Redfield had barely moved. He was just, asking me to wait..."

"So what, ya just thought ya'd go ahead and play bondin' games with the shadow monster which was tormentin' us..?" Rebecca snarked, glaring at the large boy in hateful disbelief.

"No! It wasn't like that, little dudette... I just kinda stumbled, and... and demanded to know why he was there." He said awkwardly, dragging a hand over his hair briefly. "And he just, he kept telling me not to be sad..." He said quietly, sniffing as his shoulders slumped slightly. "I think I was even more freaked out by him trying to comfort me, in all honesty... More so, when he started saying it wasn't my fault too."

"Aw, well, I guess that's alright then, huh?" Rebecca snorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "The evil monster was comfortin' ya, so it must've been good after all." She scoffed, struggling against her invisible restraints again.

"No, doodlejumps, that isn't it!" Raj protested, his gaze hardening as he turned towards Rebecca. "I was furious, and I started shouting at him; saying how I knew it wasn't my fault, that it was his!" He cried, his hand trembling around the handle of Zahra's knife. "Over and over I screamed it at him... and he just blinked at me, repeating it in that weird, confused way he always used to... I told him straight; you killed my cousin! Even accused him of not remembering..."

"As thrilling as this recounting of your idiocy, Raj, I assume you have a point to make? Somewhere beneath your snivelling excuses?" Aleister drawled, sighing as he struggled futilely in his seat.

"Hey, you guys wanted to know! So... I'm telling you. Don't worry... I'm nearly done." Raj said, shaking his head slowly as he swallowed thickly. "Redfield, he just cocked his head at me, all confused... So I started screaming at him again. Screaming Kele's name, screaming that he murdered him..." He said, his face scrunching as he held back tears of grief and frustration at the memory. "And then... then he lifted his hand, and started patting his chest. He said... He said _'Kele is here_ '." He said, sniffing and quickly scrubbing his arm over his eyes. "I didn't understand... I demanded he explain! But, then the sun broke through the clouds... and no matter how much I begged him to explain, he just vanished. I was freaking out _bad,_ doodlejumps; and I pulled out my phone to text you all, to tell you all about it!" He said, his eyes locking with Taylors as he tried to convey his sincerity. "But, then I saw the message from Zahra... about Craig..."

"So, you knew about Kele..." Taylor said slowly, his brow creased with betrayal, as he shook his head in disbelief. _"All_ the way back _then?!_ Raj-!"

"I wasn't sure yet!" Raj protested, his expression twisted by grief and guilt. "I thought, maybe he had him alive somewhere! Like, he was keeping the little dude prisoner!"

"And you didn't think _we_ deserved to know?!" Taylor demanded, choking on the fury, the pain, betrayal and guilt which rose in him. "He was our friend too! We would have helped you!"

"... I know you would, dude." Raj admitted, sniffing quietly. "But then, you were all just... dealing with so much! I just... I needed to be sure first." He sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I guess, in a way... I _was_ actually right."

"I _knew_ somethin' was weird that mornin' outside school!" Rebecca cried, staring at Raj with wide eyes as she recalled the argument they'd had. "Ya were so on edge... I thought it was just 'cause of Craig..!"

"And you kept pushing us to come back..." Quinn added, nodding her head as she and Rebecca locked eyes briefly, before turning back to Raj with similar looks of betrayal.

"You're sole goal has been to return us to the woods..." Aleister huffed, shaking his head as he too made the connections. "This was your plot all along, the reason for all your repetitive droning." 

"Of course I did!" Raj said, gazing around his friends with a broken expression. "I wanted answers! I wanted us to _deal_ with what happened to Kele!"

"We _did_ deal with what happened to Kele!" Rebecca snarled, glaring at Raj furiously as she struggled to fee herself from her seat.

"I mean, deal with it the _right_ way..." Raj said, glancing at her reproachfully. "Like we were all _supposed_ to!" He said, his expression slowly hardening as his temper soared. 

"Hey man!" Sean growled, his leg hanging limply, uselessly to the side of his chair. "You _don't_ get to decide that!"

"Raj..." Taylor choked, his heart quivering with the pain of their entire situation. "You lied to me." He said, swallowing heavily as he squeezed his arms tighter around himself, trying to contain the wild stab of betrayal he felt, as he recalled all the times he'd confided in the large boy. "You lied to _all_ of us..."

"No, Taylor dude, I-!" Raj protested, looking around the cavern desperately as he tried to find the words. "I was trying to _fix_ things!" He finally declared, looking back at Taylor hopefully.

"Heh, what's that saying about the road to hell?" Sean snarked, glaring at Raj as he grimaced and tried to move his leg into a more comfortable position.

"It's paved by _sociopaths."_ Zahra said, her eyes locked onto her knife in Raj's hand, narrowing at the way his fingers gripped the handle, his whole hand trembling. Raj's face twisted with fury, and he was about to erupt again, when Diego cleared his throat.

"So... _then_ what?" He asked tactfully, glancing at Taylors hunched form worriedly, before returning his eyes to Raj. "I _know_ that's not all..." He said, eyeing Raj knowingly, as he shifted his weight and averted his eyes uncomfortably. "You went back, didn't you? You had to go back. To find the truth... to see if you could trust your own mind."

Raj shook his head as if to clear it, swallowing thickly as he glanced over at Diego. "Yeah..." He finally said, drawing in a deep breath. "Yeah, I did. So, the morning after we did the ritual... I came back here."

"Oh my god..." Taylor choked, closing his eyes and turning away, somehow sensing and dreading exactly what his friend was about to say.

"The barrier thing was humming, shimmering like a glass filled with smoke, when I got here." Raj said quietly, his gaze distant as he recalled the memory. "I was struggling to  believe it, doodlejumps... Just one little spell, and all was well again?" He scoffed, shaking his head in dejection. "I'd been so certain, if we all came back and faced Mr. Red, something would... _happen._ That we'd really  _fix_ things." 

Raj drew in a deep, trembling breath as he slowly turned his gaze to Taylor, looking at his turned back guiltily. "All I could think of was how he'd said ' _Kele is here_ ', and I couldn't..." He paused, his words failing for a moment as he glanced around his other friends furious expressions. "I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do! He was my cousin! I had to see, to at least _try_ and find out if I could save him!" He cried, scrubbing his arm over his eyes again. "But standing there... I told myself, it was just a lie. Another of his tricks. I told myself I had to accept it; that Kele was _gone._ And, I was gonna go; I was mid turn... when all that smoke, fused together and made Redfield. When he spoke... It was really _him._ It was his voice, so familiar; it was like I heard it only the day before, doodlejumps!" He said, tears rolling over his cheeks at the memory.

"And after everything Redfield has done to us before, after everything we'd just been through to protect ourselves, each other and the town; not to mention anyone stupid enough to visit in the future..." Aleister sneered, his lip curling in disgust as he peered at Raj. "After all that; an easily mimicked voice instantly encouraged you trust him?" 

"It wasn't like that!" Raj protested, the hand holding the knife slashing through the air briefly in his vehemence. "He... he was asking me not to go. He sounded so scared, so _small..."_ He said, taking several quick breaths as he looked around the accusing glares if his friends. "I... I ran over and examined the barrier, looking just to see if there was a way in. I thought I could just grab him and escape..!" He said imploringly, his gaze slowly turning back to Taylor, as he finally turned around to face his friend. "It was up on one of the corners. A... _crack?_ Like, a chip in a windscreen, just spread a little wider."

"You knew the ritual had failed." Taylor said quietly, shaking his head as he swallowed heavily, tears rolling over his cheeks as he thought about all everyone at the school who had been traumatised, or even injured, during Redfield's attack. "God, Raj... If you'd told us we _never_ would have gone to homecoming! How could you endanger so many-"

"I didn't know that would happen! I just... I didn't know it was gonna break that soon, doodlejump." Raj defended, grimacing guiltily. "I figured it would do, eventually... That Kele would escape and hurt people again, because you were _right_ Taylor; he didn't even realise what he was doing!" He said imploringly, as Taylor quickly shook his head, refusing to take credit for the idea. "I... I wasn't sure there was anything left _to_ save after all, and I even said as much! But then, he just gave such a tiny nod; like he always used to, when we were little. Next thing I knew, there was this desperation in me; and I was terrified of it." Raj admitted, swallowing thickly as his broken gaze locked with Taylors. "I just wanted to know what to _do!_ I needed to know how I could help save my cousin, dude..."

"So, what did he say?" Taylor asked bitterly, shivering against a cold chill travelling down his spine which had nothing to do with the cold. "To _lie_ to us? _Sacrifice_ us all?"

"No..." Raj said slowly, shaking his head as he took a single deep breath. "He said just one word, dude, and honestly? It's still echoing in my head now..."

 _"Play."_ Taylor guessed, already knowing the answer. He lowered his eyes and huffed an unamused chuckle, shaking his head as he thought of all the times Redfield had essentially told them what he had been after.

"Exactly." Raj said, his voice wavering as he finally heaved a weary sigh. "Kele told me how to fix everything. How to _save_ him..."

"By stabbing all your friends in the back?!" Zahra sneered mutinously, scowling at the large boy, as he took a step closer to Taylor. "Just admit it, dork, you're just a _liar_ and a _traitor;_ and you have _no idea_ what you're doing!"

"You're _wrong;_ I know exactly what I'm doing!" Raj exclaimed, as if that made their situation acceptable. "Not everyone has to get hurt, here dudes... just _one."_ He added quietly.

"Wait, _what?!"_ Zahra demanded, her eyes widening as Taylor stared at Raj in mounting horror, fear clutching at his heart as he imagined losing another of his friends; his family, to the sane devastating game which had already stolen a life from him.

"Someone has to take Kele's place..." Raj explained, looking around the group slowly. "That's how the game works. One of _us;_ has to become the new monster."

"Oh, and you just thought you'd _volunteer_ the rest of us for _that?!"_ Sean fumed, glaring at Raj in betrayal and disbelief. "What about our _families,_ huh? I'm all momma has left now..." He said, shaking his head as he looked away from his friend.

"It could just as easily be me..." Raj said quietly, his expression hardening as he stared back at Sean. "In fact, ya know what? I hope it _is!"_

"Great! Problem solved!" Zahra snarled, renewing her efforts to free herself from the invisible force keeping her locked into her seat. "Let us go, and enjoy yourself being a monster!"

"I wish it were that easy!" Raj cried, silencing the group as he sniffed and wiped his eyes on his arm. "But, we have to play the game. Kele said-"

"I don't give a _rats ass_ what the hell Kele said!" Rebecca roared, scowling at Raj in disgust. She drew in a deep breath and spat at his feet, glowering with fury.

"How can you be this _selfish?!"_ Raj asked, shaking his head as he stared at Rebecca with his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Sean is hurt! _Look_ at him!" She cried, growling on frustration when she was unable to gesture in the athletes direction. "Other people are missing, _dying!_ What Kele's doing isn't right!"

"All the more reason we have to fix this!" Raj insisted stubbornly, fixing a scowl onto his face as he steadied his hand and pointed Zahra's knife toward Taylor determinedly. "What happened to Kele was _our_ fault! Every single one of us is responsible!"

Taylor flinched, shaking his head as he averted his gaze and swallowed heavily, his heart constricting painfully in his chest as he raised a hand to rub at it distractedly. _No... not everyone..._ He thought distantly, closing his eyes briefly, until the crack of Diego's loud voice echoed through the cavern suddenly.

" _No. We. Are. Not_!" He roared, his usually calm or playful expression lost, to a furious glare. "Just _stop_ with the blame and the guilt already! We were _kids!_ It was _nobodies_ fault; but _Redfield's!"_ He said determinedly, his teeth worrying his lip as his eyes locked onto Taylor with obvious concern.

Taylor ignored his friends attempts to alleviate his guilt, instead turning to narrow his eyes at Kele, as he re-entered the circle again and laughed. " _Shh... no more fighting..._ " He whispered gleefully, his eyes flickering with excitement. " _Time to play_..!" He insisted, flicking his arm negligently and causing the knife to slip from Raj's grasp; and the both of them were lurched suddenly into the air.

"Wait, Kele!" Raj gasped, his eyes wide in surprise as he looked over at the shadowy being. "I was _helping_ you! You don't need to-" but before he could finish his sentence, Kele flicked his arm again, slamming them both into the remaining two seats.

"How's it goin', Raj?" Rebecca asked smugly, scowling at the large boy as he struggled in his seat on reaction, too shocked to prevent himself. "All accordin' to _plan?"_ She snorted knowingly.

"Its... It's fine!" Raj stammered, finally getting himself under control, though his eyes remained wide from the shock for another heartbeat. "We just have to play the game, and then this will all be over..."

"Yeah, and one of _us_ will be _dead!"_ Taylor roared, glaring at his friend furiously as he struggled vehemently to stand; but the invisible force held him firmly in place. "I swear Raj, if _any_ of these guys die; I am _never_ gonna forgive you..." He muttered lowly, as silent tears rolled over his cheeks. 

From the corner of his eye, Taylor noticed Kele beginning to circle the ring of seats, whispering excitedly to himself. " _Time to play... time to play..."_

"Kele!" He called, fixing his expression into a firm frown. "We _don't_ want to play!" He insisted, grimacing when Kele's laughter began to echo off the walls.

 _"Why?"_ The shadowy form of their former friend giggled, his eyes lit by malice and glee combined. _"Are you scared?"_ He taunted, as shadows seemed to pulse around him.

"C-come on, Kele!" Raj said, his words catching uncertainly as he too noticed the darkness which began to spread through the cavern. "Lets just... get this over with!"

Kele to ignore Raj, continuing to circle the group thoughtfully, before finally coming to a stop. "Wait, where'd he go?" Zahra demanded, her eyes widening as the shadowy being disappeared from her view.

"H-he's right behind you!" Quinn cried, her eyes wide as she stared at Zahra in horror, her eyes flicking nervously to the monster lingering just behind her.

 _"Zaaaaahraaaa..."_ Kele drawled loudly, as Zahra gasped; beginning to rise from her chair.

"What the _hell_ is _this_ shit?!" Zahra demanded, her eyes widening in shock as her knees and arms bent awkwardly inwards.

"What the _hell?!"_ Sean choked, staring in obvious horror at the display before them.

 _"Not so brave_..." Kele taunted cheerfully, giggling as Zahra's body bent and contorted until it was the very limit of what it could handle. " _Without your powers... hmmmmm?_ " He drawled, as Zahra's arms and legs began to sway back and forth in a twisted jig. " _Helpless... can't do anything... can't protect yourself..."_

 _"Argh!"_ Zahra growled, as her limbs pushed the the boundary of their flexibility. Taylors heart lurched, terror holding him frozen in place as his heart hammered in his chest; silently pleading that his friends would live through the awful game.

" _Are you scaaaaaared_?" Kele taunted, snickering childishly as Zahra's arms and legs swayed tl the opposite angle.

"Stop that, Kele!" Taylor cried suddenly, shaking his head to clear away his terror which had consumed him. "Leave her alone!" He pleaded, straining at the invisible force binding him to his seat.

Zahra's hips began to twist unnaturally, further and further. Furious, Zahra snarled at Kele through teeth clenched against the pain. "Is that... the best you've got?!" She demanded, scowling at the shadowy form as she panted for breath.

 _"Hmm?"_ Kele hummed, pausing as his lamp like eyes widened in surprise. He swooped around in front of Zahra, cocking his head as if confused. Zahra dropped to the ground, wincing as her knees connected with the hard stone.

"I don't need your damn powers, and I am _not_ afraid of you." Zahra huffed, a hard scowl painted to her face as she glared up at Kele hatefully. "You know why?" She sneered, shaking her head as she ran her eyes over the shadowy being. "Because underneath all this hocus pocus; you're just a whiny brat, throwing a tantrum." She scoffed, shaking her head in disgust. "So go ahead," she taunted, tossing her Mohawk from her face as she glared up at Kele defiantly. "Snap me in half like a damned pretzel. _I'm not scared_."

Kele hissed, his shadows erupting in flames of fury. Zahra gasped as she suddenly flew backwards, disappearing into the darkness beyond.

"No, Zahra!" Taylor called desperately, staring at the spot where she had disappeared in horror. When no sound from Zahra answered him, he turned to Kele with furious tears in his eyes. "Kele! What'd you do to her?! This _isn't_ how the game works!"

Kele ignored him, circling around the circle once more. Aleister began to dry heave, while Quinn's whole body trembled, wracked with sobs as she stared at the spot Zahra had disappeared. "... _who's next_..?" Kele asked cheerfully.

"Well, Raj?!" Rebecca snarled, furiously tugging at her invisible bindings, desperately trying to launch from her seat at the large boy. "Are ya _happy_ now?!" 

"This... this is how it has to be, dudes..." Raj insisted, shaking his head and clenching his jaw tightly, his eyes wide as he stared into the darkness, as if he couldn't quite believe Zahra was actually gone. "It's all part of the game. She's... fine. Zahra's _fine!"_ He cried, his voice rising in distress.

 _"Urgh,_ we have _very_ different definitions of fine, Raj!" Sean yelled, snarling at their friend across the circle. Kele swooped down in front of Sean, as he thrashed in his chair awkwardly, struggling to free himself.

 _"So strong_..." Kele whispered, cocking his head curiously as Sean stilled in surprise. " _Didn't help Ben_..." He said, shaking his shadowy head.

 _"Ben?!"_ Sean scoffed, resuming his struggles as he glared at Kele. "What the hell was I supposed to do, attack a freakin'  _bear?!"_  

 _"Wanted to be the best... no matter what_..." Kele taunted gleefully, as Sean faltered for a heartbeat, his expression flickering with doubt. " _No matter who gets hurt_..." The shadowy being leered, as Sean's eyes widened in horror and he looked down towards his stomach.

"Sean..?" Quinn called worriedly, straining in her seat as if trying to reach him. "Wh-what's wrong? _Sean!"_

Sean didn't respond as a huge spider crawled slowly up his chest, dozens more converging upon him as they emerged from the shadows. "I..." He choked, shaking his head as he leaned away from the approaching arachnid.

" _Now you know_..." Kele taunted, giggling maliciously as he floated around Sean slowly. " _How Tom felt... your fault_..." He said, trailing off into a vicious whisper as he giggled again. A few spiders made their way to Sean's exposed throat, and he swallowed heavily as he felt them pause there. " _Scared, Sean?"_

"I... I knew you were the one who hurt Ben. _You're_ the reason I got a chance to play..." Sean admitted, his shoulders slumping in guilt. "And maybe, I pretended not to know, because I wanted that chance more than _anything._ Wanted to prove I wasn't like my dad, the drunk ex-football player who beat his wife and kid..." Sean's eyes turned hard, as he puffed out his chest and glared at Kele defiantly. "But that doesn't make what happened to Ben and Tom _my_ fault! You're just like my dad; can't take responsibility for your own goddamn actions!" He yelled, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "I'm _not_ scared of you... I'm _pissed_ off! You hurt my friend; and I'm gonna make you _pay_ for it!"

Kele roared and howled in fury, seizing Sean by the throat. He struggled, gasping in pain as the shadowy beings touch burnt his skin. _"Aahhhh!"_ He cried, as Kele lifted him clean out of his seat, and hurtled him into the darkness.

 _"Hfff!"_ Diego choked, beginning to hyperventilate as another of their friends disappeared. "Oh god... oh _god..."_ He panted, his eyes wild and his chest heaving, as Taylor turned toward him urgently.

"Dude, get it together! Come on! You're gonna be okay!" Taylor called, his eyes running over Diego fearfully. "Diego; I _promise!_ I will _not_ let him hurt you!" He swore, his heart racing, aching to comfort his friend and erase the terror from his eyes.

"I don't understand!" Rebecca growled, looking over at Taylor with a scowl, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why the _hell_ is he _doin'_ this?!" 

"This was _our_ ritual... this was our link with Redfield." Taylor muttered, shaking his head as he turned to Raj with a frustrated growl. "Well, Raj? Was _this_ your plan?!"

"No, dudes, I didn't..." Raj said, shaking his head as he swallowed thickly and looked around the circle fearfully. "This isn't what he said was going to happen!" He said, his lip trembling as tears filled his eyes.

"Funny that, being a manipulative shadow monster and all..." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as the sound of shouting drew his attention back to Kele, who had come to a stop behind Diego. _"Diego!"_ He cried as panic swept through his heart, struggling again to try and break free of the invisible bindings. "Diego, don't _listen!"_ He called, watching fearfully as Kele whispered in his nest friends ear.

"N-no..." Diego murmured, struggling to strain away from the shadowy being, as he squeezed his eyes closed tightly. "Get _away!"_

"What are you telling him, you deceitful blaggard?!" Aleister demanded roughly, his pale features contorted into a furious snarl. "Diego, do not listen to that murderous wastrel!" He ordered sharply, as Diego continued to try and block them all out.

Taylor struggled desperately against the invisible force holding him still, his frantic gaze locked onto his best friend. _"Diego..."_ He muttered urgently, straining to hear Kele's words and catching only snippets.

" _Not your friends... think your crazy... All alone_..." Kele whispered, his eyes dancing with malicious glee. " _Taylor all alone... Taking all the blame... can't save him..._ "

"N-no!" Diego gasped, shaking his head rapidly as he continued to squeeze his eyes shut, desperately trying to blank out the monster who taunted him.

"Diego, _no!"_ Taylor cried, ignoring the others curious glances, as he struggled to reach his friend, desperate to reassure and comfort him; terrified he might lose him again. "Please, Kele, _please;_ leave him _alone!_ Leave them _all_ alone!" 

 _"Poor Diego..."_ Kele tainted, ignoring Taylor and his increasingly desperate pleas. " _So much pain... guilt... loneliness_..." He whispered, hissing maliciously beside Diego's ear. " _Never going to stop_..." He said, before giggling childishly. " _Are you scared._.?"

 _"No!"_ Diego yelled, his eyes snapping to Taylor and softening in recognition. Kele stopped whispering and backed away from him, just an inch; his lamp like eyes crackling with anger. "I'm not listening to another word you say!" Diego insisted, his gaze shifting back to Kele, his expression darkening with uncharacteristic fury. "Taylor _isn't_ alone, not anymore! He has _us,_ and we're _not_ gonna let you torment him anymore!" He cried, straining in his seat briefly. _"Urgh..!"_ He growled, fidgeting in his seat with a grimace of frustration. He finally narrowed his eyes, glaring at Kele furiously. "If you wanted me to actually think I was crazy, or alone; then you never should've brought me here! Because now I know everything we've struggled with was _real!_ Everything _he_ did to us, was _real!_ And also... that we're all in this _together."_ He said firmly, holding Kele's flaming gaze defiantly.

"I am _done_ trying to hide from the past; whether it be behind alcohol... or Taylor." Diego said, swallowing thickly as his eyes flocked over to his best friend, a small smile tugging at his lips as his furious expression softened. "I'm gonna get past this, and I'm gonna help my best buddy over there do the same..." He said affectionately.

"Dude, you are such an assbutt..." Taylor choked, shaking his head as relief swept through him, his heart fluttering with pride at Diego's confident words. "You scared the goddamn shit outta me..." He admitted, drawing in a shaky breath as Diego winked at him.

"C'mon, Taylor." He huffed, smiling at him across the circle, as the shadows around Kele seemed to intensify. "You know I'd never give up our bromance, besides, we have _soooo_ much Sunset Beach to catch up on..!" He snickered, as Taylor rolled his eyes, his wildly beating heart finally slowing slightly. Diego turned back to Kele, his eyes narrowing as he scowled at the simmering shadow monster. "I'm _not_ scared anymore."

Kele roared in fury, and Diego screamed suddenly as the shadowy being grabbed him by the shoulders; hauling him over his chair and dragging him back into the darkness. _"Diego!"_ Taylor screamed, his heart cracking as it pounded fiercely against his chest. He struggled against the invisible bonds holding him, his wide eyes locked on the spot where Diego had vanished, desperately wishing for his friend to reply. "Diego! _Diego!"_

 _"No!"_ Rebecca cried, shaking her head sadly as watched Taylor break down, tears cascading over his cheeks as he strained to hear some sign of his friends survival.

"This ridiculous farce _must_ come to a stop!" Aleister demanded, swallowing heavily and staring at Diego's now empty seat in dismay.

Beside Taylor, Raj began to shake as he stared into space. "Only way... he said, this was the only way..." He muttered, the sound of his voice drawing Taylor out of his horrified stupor.

"Raj..." He pleaded, turning his tear stained face to his friend. "We have to stop him. Please, Raj, we _have_ to make this _stop!"_ He pleaded, his heartbreak written blatantly across his face.

"I..." Raj choked, shaking his head and taking several rapid breaths, close to hyperventilating from the shock and horror of the events around them.

Kele rounded on Quinn, gliding slowly towards her. "No..." Quinn pleaded, shaking her head in horror. "No no no no..." 

" _Quinn's turn_..." Kele sing songed maliciously, his child like enthusiasm causing Taylor to shiver with disgust. He looked up as from overhead, came the sound of fluttering. A bird drifted down from the ceiling, landing on Quinn's shoulder.

"Hey!" Quinn gasped, trying to lean away from the strange bird creature, as it gave her a sharp peck right on her collarbone, drawing blood. "Wh-why?" She choked, flinching as the bird packed her again. _"Why,_ Kele? What did I ever-"

Another bird fluttered down from the darkness, landing on her other shoulder, as Taylor began to struggle against his restraints once more. _"Nothing!"_ He growled, scowling at Kele furiously. "Quinn, you did nothing wrong, okay?! _Kele!_ Leave her alone!" He demanded, meeting his former friends eyes as they blazed merrily, while the shadow monster stared at him intently.

" _Scaredy cat_..." Kele chanted, turning back to Quinn as he slowly circled her. " _Weak link... always sick... could never keep up... can't do anything_..." Kele gloated eagerly, as Quinn's cheeks slowly darkened with shame. " _Can't help friends..."_ Kele taunted, giggling with delight as Quinn lowered her head. " _Are you scared?"_

Behind her, the birds vegan to peck Quinn rhythmically, almost robotically. "Ow! G-get..." She growled, her eyes slowly rising ro meet Kele's surprised gaze fearlessly. "Get these... _dumb birds_ away from me!" She yelled, her shout bouncing off the cavern walls. 

Kele froze, staring at Quinn with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "No..." He whispered, shaking his shadowy head as Quinn snorted and growled at the shadow fiend without fear. "You're wrong! I _can_ help my friends!" She insisted defiantly, her crystalline eyes blazing with fiery determination. "Even when I was ill, and I was physically weak... Doesn't mean I wasn't able to be there for them! I might not be a fighter, like Sean or Zahra... But that doesn't make me any less of a friend!" She said, staring at the shadowy being determinedly. "I am _not_ scared of you, Kele!"

One of the birds cocked irs head at Quinn, its beak poised right before her eye. Quinn glared straight past it, to where Kele appraised her silently. "You're not scary, Kele... You're just a _bully!_ I've dealt with way worse than bullies lately; and I'm still here!" She cried, as flames began to roil through Kele's shadowy form. "You don't know what being scared is-"

" _Shut up!_ " Kele finally roared, the strange birds taking to the air as he sent Quinn's chair shooting back into the darkness.

 _"Quinn!"_ Rebecca called, her eyes widening as the other redhead disappeared before she could even scream. "Oh _god,_ Quinn..." She choked, as Taylor wept and hung his head, desperately wishing that his unresponsive friends were okay. 

Aleister began to wheeze, shaking his head as his eyes clouded with the borders of hysteria. "This cannot be happening..." He muttered, closing his piercing eyes briefly, before reopening them; though he seemed to see through their surroundings. "It's not real... merely a figment of the imagination, it _cannot_ be real..." He told himself, as Taylor slowly and tiredly raised his head.

"Kele, why are you _doing_ this?!" He demanded, his expression morphing into a scowl as he set his sights on his brokenly muttering friend, before turning to the shadowy being which swooped in upon him. "What the hell do you want?! Just bloody well tell us already!" He cried, tugging futilely against the force holding him in place.

"... _want?"_ Kele drawled quietly, as if confused by the question. His eyes bobbed in the darkness of his incorporeal body, as he looked only at Taylor. 

Taylor growled, turning his attention towards Raj beside him, as the large boy whispered frantically to himself. "Only way... its the only way..." He whimpered, shaking his head as he rocked in his seat slightly.

"Raj, listen to me!" Taylor pleaded, gazing at his friend imploringly. "I need you to snap out of it already! I _know_ you're not okay with just sitting here and watching Kele do this; to anyone! Let alone your friends!" He insisted, his face falling as Raj didn't seem to hear him at all. "You have to talk to him!" Taylor pleaded again, yelling in his attempt to make his friend understand. "You have to _stop_ this!" He begged. 

Raj continued to shake his head, his eyes wide with horror as he stared straight past Taylor. "I just... I just wanted to _save_ him..." He choked, his face falling as tears rolled over his cheeks. "He said... if we played, we could save him..."

 _"Raj!"_ Taylor roared, desperate to get through to his friend, but his cries remained unheeded. He turned away with a growl, struggling in vain as Kele circled Aleister and laughed.

"Oh god, I'm not equipped with the emotional capacity to deal with this fiasco..." Aleister complained to himself, his breath quickening as he spoke rapidly. "I cannot... I can't-"

 _"Too much..."_ Kele giggled gleefully, his lamp like eyes glittering as he circled Aleister ominously. " _Can't do it all... give up_..." He whispered soothingly, as Aleister closed his eyes, shaking as Kele's hands came to rest upon his shoulders. The fabric of his vest began to smoke, as Taylor cried out in denial and desperately tried to free himself. " _Are you scared..?"_ Kele murmured, slowly leaning closer to the pale boy.

Suddenly, Aleister's eyes snapped open, clarity returning to his piercing gaze as he screamed into Kele's face. "Get _away_ from me, you _foul vermin!"_ He roared, causing Kele to recoil and draw his hands back in surprise. Aleister sneered at him, breathing through clenched teeth as he stared the shadow monster down. "Maybe I cannot do everything, at once... But I can do one thing at a time. And the first thing on my list is to put you in your place, you snivelling _brat,_ and tell you once and for all; _I am not scared of you_."

Kele roared with rage, his shadowy form roiling with angry flames, as he flung Aleister backwards into the darkness before he could utter another word. _"Aleister!"_ Taylor called, before hanging his head in shame, guilt gnawing at him for having not been able to save his friends; desperately praying to anything that would listen, that they be alive and safe from the madness around him at last.

Raj trembled, his voice wracked with sobs, as Taylor slowly raised his eyes to his obviously tormented friend. "I'm..." He choked, swallowing heavily as he stared at the empty seats around the circle. "I'm so... sorry, doodlejumps. It wasn't supposed to... I just wanted-"

"Oh, _hell_ no!" Rebecca snarled, glaring at Raj furiously. "Ya don't get to just apologize now, Raj!" She sneered, barely able to contain her fury. "Not after _this!"_ She cried, growling as she struggled in her seat. "Ya better just _hope_ all our friends are still alive, so ya ain't a goddamn _murderer!_ Like that god-awful monster ya call ya cousin!"

"D-don't..." Raj stammered, frowning as he shook his head, as if trying to clear the horror aside so he could find the words he needed. "Don't talk about my cousin!" He said, his voice rising as it grew stronger, more confident. "Don't talk about Kele like that!"

Kele's head swivelled, his attention drawn away from Aleister's seat at the sound of his voice. _"Seriously?!"_ Rebecca snorted, scowling as she shook her head at Raj in disbelief. "After everythin' he's done tonight?!" She demanded, cocking a brow at him curiously. "Have you still not pieced it together?! This ain't some ritual that's gonna save him, you _idiot!"_ She snarled, venting her fury and frustration, as Kele slowly stalked closer.

Taylor watched the shadowy being approach the redhead, flickers of fire flaring beneath his shadowy form, as the cheerleaders words hung in the air around them. "Uh, Becca..?" He hedged, eyeing the approaching monster with caution. "I... _think_ you're making him mad..!"

"Happy, mad, it don't matter!" Rebecca sneered, shaking her head at Taylors words with a dismissive snort. "All that manipulative _bastard_ wants, is to hurt us!"

 _"Hurt!"_ Kele roared, his fury erupting as flames leapt across his shadowy body. He reached out, one clawed hand clasping Rebecca's shoulder tightly. Rebecca shrieked, unable to flinch away from the searing touch.

 _"Becca!"_ Taylor cried, his eyes wide and his heart aching for his friend, as he glanced at his injured wrist and recalled the pain of the shadow monsters touch. "It... its going to be okay! I'll think of something! I promise, Becca, I'll-"

 _"Protect..."_ Kele growled, cutting Taylor off as his head slowly turned towards him, his eyes burning. " _Can't do anything... can't protect them._.." He whispered, his flames disappearing as abruptly as they appeared, watching Taylor with curiosity and interest as his grip tightened; and Rebecca screamed again, as her skin began to smoke. " _Couldn't protect me... all your fault... you brought us..."_

"Kele... please-" Taylor sobbed, guilt clawing at his gut like nausea as bile rose in his throat, choking him as guilt and grief consumed him. "I'm _sorry-"_ he whispered brokenly, shaking his head as he wept.

"Well _I_ ain't!" Rebecca snarled through tightly grit teeth, glaring at Kele as his head swivelled back to her. "Mr. Red hurt _all_ of us, Kele! And ya ain't the only one who's _still_ hurtin'! But some of us are tryin' to move past it! It ain't Taylors fault that ya a whiny little _brat_ who can't let go!"

Kele hissed furiously, leaning closer as he looked over Rebecca. " _Try, try, try_!" He growled viciously, flames flaring to life once more with his rage, as Taylor swallowed and shook his head dejectedly; his heart aching as he desperately wished for his friends to be okay. " _Not good enough! Never enough! Never enough for her!_ " Kele roared in quick succession, his voice rising in his fury.

"Are ya _seriously_ goin' to bring up my mom right now?!" Rebecca scoffed derisively, snorting as she glared at Kele hatefully. "Kinda dealt with that already! So before ya even ask? _No!_ I ain't bloody scared!"

Kele screamed in fury, and without so much as a chance to gasp, Rebecca went hurtling into the darkness. _"Becca!"_ Taylor called, his body shaking with sobs as rage and sorrow churned inside him, while his guilt continued to grow, overwhelming him and choking him further. "Is _this_ what you wanted, Kele?" He asked brokenly, turning his gaze toward the shadowy being, his expression slowly hardening as his hands balled into fists. "All this, just to get back at us? At _me?!"_ He cried, as hot tears rolled over his cheeks. "Well congratulations, you did it!" He choked, shaking his head quickly as he glared at the creature which had once been his friend. "You got rid of _all_ the people who cared about you... who would have _helped_ you!"

Kele floated peacefully around the seat Rebecca had occupied, his childlike joy returning as he slowly approached. "... _Not yet."_ He whispered, flames slowly roiling from within. _"Not finished..."_ He growled, floating forward and descending towards Raj.

"I can't take this anymore, doodlejumps..." The large boy muttered, as if unaware the rest of their friends had been cast aside by the shadow monster. "I _can't..."_

 _"Raj..."_ Kele whispered, his flames receding as he hovered around his cousin. " _Don't be sad.._." He said, slowly circling Raj, his shadows flickering as he moved.

"Please..." Raj wheezed, gazing at Kele imploringly. "Just tell me how to save you, or... or just finish it! I _can't take this anymore!"_

 _"Raj..."_ Kele said, his lamp like eyes widening as if in surprise. He placed a soft, comforting hand on Raj's shoulder, and Taylor tensed as a darkness began to spread over him.

"Wait! What are you doing to him?!" Taylor cried, staring in horror and disbelief as Raj seemed to calm suddenly, his shoulders slumping as the tension left him. "Stop! Leave him alone! Godammit, Raj, _fight_ it!"

" _Raj... need you, to do something_..." Kele said, his child like pleas echoing around the cavern ominously.

"Do what?" Raj asked thickly, as if waking from a deep sleep. "Tell me what!" He pleaded, gazing at the shadowy remains of the being which had once been his cousin.

Kele's shadows flickered briefly, as the monster leaned closer to Raj. "... _hurt Taylor..."_ He whispered, a malicious glimmer of joy in his trembling voice.

"Raj! _Don't_ listen to him!" Taylor called, struggling against the invisible force holding him in his seat, as he growled in frustration.

" _The only way_..." Kele whispered, floating around Raj ominously. " _Only way... I can be free..."_ He promised darkly, his eyes sparkling with spiteful glee as he looked over at Taylor.

 _"Yes..."_ Raj said slowly, his voice an almost robotic drone. " _The only way..."_ He agreed, as Kele released Raj's bonds. The large boy knelt down, his fingers closing around Zahra's discarded knife slowly.

"Raj! Get a goddamn grip already!" Taylor cried, his eyes widening as he watched his friend calmly pick up the weapon. "You've got to resist him, you _idiot!"_ He insisted, straining futilely to free himself. "He's using you again, just like before! He's twisting your grief, to hurt both of us! _Goddamn_ it, Raj, you have to fight it!"

"I..." Raj choked, swallowing thickly as he trembled and shook his head slowly. "I _can't..."_ He sobbed, taking a shuffling step forward.

"You can! You're just too much of a damned coward to do it!" Taylor growled, scowling at the large boy furiously. "You're stronger than this, Raj! You're stronger than _him!"_

"S... _stronger..?"_ Raj murmured, his movements ceasing as his brow furrowed, as if he were trying to recall something, or indeed, fight something.

"Raj!" Taylor yelled, desperately trying to break through to his friend. He struggled against his bonds, as Raj seemed to fail at his attempt to regain control of himself, slowly approaching Taylor once more. _"Urgh!_ Kele! Let him go!" 

 _"No..."_ Kele giggled childishly, his shadowed face lit by malicious glee as he watched events unfold before him, his sense of anticipation palpable in the cold air of the dark cavern.

"Fine, then let _me_ go! Make this a fair fight, at least!" Taylor yelled, glaring at Kele as Raj slowly approached, his hand trembling around Zahra's knife. "Unless..." He said, sneering and raising an imperious brow, as an idea struck him suddenly. "Unless you're too _scared!"_

Kele's eyes widened in surprise, before they began to roil with flame. " _Not... scared_..!" He snarled viciously, floating slightly closer to Taylor as he flickered with flames of fury.

"Then _prove_ it!" Taylor taunted, grimacing in determination. "Let me go, and just see what happens!" He demanded.

Kele roared in fury, slashing his arm through the air and blasting Taylor out of his seat. _"Ah!"_ Taylor gasped, as he flew across the cavern. Moments later, his head collided with the floor. _"Oof!"_ He groaned, his vision blurring as he tentatively lifted a hand to the wounded area. His eyes widened in surprise as realized he could move, and he looked up to see Raj stood before him.

 _"Taylor."_ The large boy said, his eyes blank and his vkuce devoid of emotion as he peered down at Taylor.

"Raj... You don't want to hurt me!" Taylor said, wincing as he tried to move, his head throbbing with fierce stabs of pain where he'd struck it. "C'mon, dude, you don't want to hurt _anyone!"_

" _Have to_..." Raj said emotionlessly, slowly shaking his head as he gripped Zahra's knife so hard that his knuckles turned white. " _No other way..."_ He said, approaching with the knife dangling by his side, Taylor scrabbled backwards weakly and from the corner of his eye, caught sight of something glinting a few feet away.

 _The whistle..._ He thought, his eyes widening in surprise as he recalled the day he'd given it to Kele, trying to make his friend feel safer; braver and more confident in himself. The memory floated before his eyes, the two of them smiling as he promised to come and protect his friend, should Kele ever grow scared and blow the whistle. _He must have kept it... Maybe Raj is right, some part of him is still in there... What if I can still break through? I might be able to save Raj..._ He thought, looking away from the whistle to his approaching friend. 

Taylors heart lurched at the darkness hovering around his friend, the blankness in his gaze as he bore down on him. _Now or never_! He thought, ignoring the pain on his head and quickly scrabbling to his knees and diving past Raj to grab the antique whistle off the floor.

 _"Wait..."_ Raj gasped, his void like eyes widening in surprise as he caught sight of the small object, a spoke of fear flashing in his gaze.

 _"Nnnnoooo!"_ Kele roared, flames blazing to life among his shadows as he began to swoop across the cavern urgently. Taylor didn't pause, glaring determinedly at the shadowy being as he raised the whistle to his lips and blew as hard as he could. A high note blasted forth, cutting through the darkness like a knife and causing Kele ro recoil in agony. _"Nnnngghhhh!"_ He growled, his clawed hands rising to grip his shadowy brow.

 _"N-no..!"_ Raj gasped, as the darkness around him writhed, trying to fight the whistle's blast and maintain its grasp on him. _"Stop!"_ Taylor sucked in a deep breath quickly, before blowing the whistle again, his eyes rising to his friend as Raj flinched and dropped the knife to cover his ears. _"Aagh!"_ Raj shook his head, as if shaking something off, and then looked from Taylors to Kele in disbelief. "Taylor! Kele, he... Oh _god,_ I almost..." He choked, looking down at his own hands in horror as he fell to his knees, the darkness surrounding him finally clearing.

Taylor sagged against the floor in relief, drawing in a deep and ragged breath as he stared at the ceiling, wondering if the rest of his friends were okay. He desperately wished he could talk to Jake, that he could bury himself in the pilots comforting embrace and forget the awful events of the night. However, he was drawn from his thoughts by Kele's furious howl, and he slowly rolled his head to look over at the shadow monster. _"Noooo!"_ He cried, clutching his ears as he sank to the floor in the centre of the circle. "... _no..."_ He whimpered, the darkness around him rippling and spasming, as he slowly lifted his head. When he spoke, his voice was  distant, echoing and familiar. "Taylor? Where... where am I?"

Taylor swallowed heavily, slowly pushing himself up from the floor with a quiet groan. "... Kele?" Raj called, as he reached out a hand to help Taylor to his feet.

"I... I don't like it here. I want to go home!" Kele pleaded, his voice quivering as he began to cry.

"I..." Taylor choked, shaking his head as guilt churned in his gut. "I wish I could take you home too... We miss you, Kele. Every day." He said, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. "But you can't stay, dude... 'cause you've got something better waiting. I promise." He said, wincing at a particularly strong throb of pain in his head. "So much better than and prettier than here. You... you just have to _go."_

Kele sobbed harder, his shadowy form seeming to curl in on itself in distress. "I _w-want_ to! But..." He sniffed, shaking his head despondently. "I'm _stuck!"_ He cried, rocking himself gently on the hard floor. "Just... just tell me what to do, okay, Taylor? Like old times!" He pleaded, as Taylors heart constricted painfully. "Tell me what to _do,_ so I can go home!"

"I..." Taylor hesitated, biting his lip uncertainly as he glanced around the cavern. "Just, hold on... I'll think of something..." He promised weakly, turning to Raj. "What do we do? How do we help him?" He asked.

"We finish the game, Taylor." Raj said quietly, raising a hand to deflect Taylors protest before he voiced it, tears shining in his eyes as he looked down at Taylor sadly. "We still have to pick a new monster... One of _us,_ has to take Kele's place."

 _"No!"_ Taylor choked, shaking his head and immediately regretting the action when it throbbed dangerously. "Not after all this... There _has_ to be some other way!" He pleaded, though deep within his heart, he already knew otherwise.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Taylor, for everything..." Raj sniffed, wiping his eyes with his arm. "Uh, could you please... tell my mom-"

"Whoa, _whoa!"_ Taylor said abruptly, his eyes widening as he realised what his friend was asking. "Now hang on a minute, it doesn't have to be you!" 

"Taylor, dude, please..." Raj said thickly, swallowing as he glanced around the cavern at the places their friends had been sat. "It does... Let me do this. Let me fix my mistake..."

Taylor swallowed thickly, feeling the weight of his next words as they rose in his throat. He turned to look at Kele, his thoughts turning back to the first tine they'd set foot in the clearing; recalling the strange pull he'd felt, and the pleas of his friend not to go any closer. _If it weren't for me, he would never have been trapped in the first place... The power calls to people like me, because it bonds with people it isn't meant to_. He thought, his gut churning as he slowly drew his phone out of his pocket. "Hey, Raj..?" He said quietly, as he opened his inbox and hesitantly typed out a message.

"Yeah, dude?" Raj replied, frowning as Taylors shoulders shook. Taylor took a deep breath, hitting send before he could change his mind and looked up at his friend, as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Don't forget to read your letter, dude." He said, offering a weak smile to the large boy, as he gently moved to step around him.

"What, no!" Raj cried, his hand whipping out to catch Taylors arm as he passed.

"Please, Raj... don't argue with me." Taylor said, his throat constricting as he felt the weight of his decision crush him. "I... I need to do this."

"No, I won't _let_ you, dude!" Raj insisted, shaking his head vehemently and glaring at Taylor as tears cascaded over his cheeks.

"Raj... it's not your choice to make." Taylor sighed, exhausted from the grief and guilt which ate at him. 

Raj began to break down, sobs tearing free of him as Taylor pulled the larger boy into a gentle hug. "This is all my fault..." He choked, gripping Taylor tightly.

"It's not _your_ fault, dude." Taylor whispered, shaking his head slowly as he stared at the ceiling over Raj's shoulder, his heart thudding nervously against his ribs.

"How can you say that?" Raj demanded, sniffing as he pulled back with a frown, his gaze clouded bg disbelief and wonder. "After _everything..?"_

"Because I want you to remember it." Taylor said, offering a weak, crooked smile to his friend. "And also because... this whole mess, was only ever _one_ persons fault. And it was _never_ you... This was always how it was supposed to end for me. I'm just sorry I dragged you all into this too..." He said, finally releasing Raj and moving away, offering him a brief salute before slowly walking over to Kele, who looked up as Taylor knelt before him.

"Taylor..." He whispered, his voice quivering with fear and thick with tears. "I'm _scared."_

"I know." Taylor said, his heart quickening as he fidgeted and rubbed his palms over his legs, the familiar pull tugging at his chest. "I'm scared, too." He admitted with a nervous chuckle, before drawing in a deep and shaky breath. "But it's going to be okay, now... I'm here, Kele." He said, swallowing heavily ss he closed his eyes, briefly recalling his friends and Jake, laughing and content over the past week they'd spent at his house. "And I'm gonna keep my promise." He whispered, as he opened his eyes, and slowly wrapped his arms around Kele, the darkness beginning to swirl around him.

 _"Taylor!"_ Raj called brokenly, the last thing he heard beside the buzzing of his phone in his pocket, as the darkness enveloped him completely.

Within the darkness, he was surprised to find a light. He narrowed his eyes, and as his vision adjusted, he noticed a tiny figure sat in the centre; his face buried in his arms. As Taylor approached, he looked up. _"Taylor!"_ Kele gasped, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Kele? Is that you?" Taylor choked, slowly moving closer and crouching before the small boy who had haunted his dreams for ten years. "The _real_ you..? What are you doing here?" He asked, glancing around the white expanse curiously.

"I... I can't get out!" Kele sobbed, wiping his nose on his arm. "And every time I try, I... I hurt so many people... I hurt _you!"_ He whimpered, crying as he vuroed his face in his hands again.

"Hey, shhh..." Taylor hushed soothingly, moving to embrace the small boy gently. "It's okay." He said, gently drawing Kele's hands from his face, and forcing a smile as he wiped away the tears from his cheeks. "Kele... Why did you do all those things you did?" He asked hesitantly, frowning curiously.

"I don't know..." Kele groaned, shaking his head in grief. "I was just so alone, for _so_ long... and then Diego came back!" He gasped, smiling briefly, before his expression crumpled again. "But he was _hurting..._ you were _all_ hurting, so much! I thought I could help... I thought _I_ could protect everyone!" He said, shaking his head with a small, angry snort of derision. "But I just made everything _worse..._ and you all got _mad_ at me! Then, all I could think of was how to get back at you! How to..." Kele broke off with another small sob, and Taylor hushed him gently, pulling him close again and patting his head.

"It's okay, I know... But hey, you did one _very_ good thing, you know?" Taylor said gently, smiling as Kele peeked up at him, cocking his head curiously. "You made Quinn better." He said, pleased when Kele offered him a weak and hopeful smile in response. Taylor drew in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart as he exhaled deeply. "Okay... That's enough now." He said, swallowing thickly as he squeezed Kele's shoulder gently. "Why don't you rest? Let me..." He choked, swallowing back his grief as he tried to smother himself in the affection and warmth he'd come to associate with Jake. _At least I can take this piece of him with me..._ He hoped, clinging tightly to his affection for the pilot. He cleared his throat, and forced a smile for the small boy in his arms. "Let me take over for awhile." 

With a sigh of relief, Kele smiled and closed his eyes, leaning into Taylors embrace, as he began to fade away. Rising above the scene, Taylor watched as his own body slumped to the ground, while somewhere nearby; a voice was screaming.

"No..." Raj cried, racing to his side and falling to his knees, clutching his body in his arms, as Taylor watched with curiosity and detachment from above. _"No!"_ He screamed again, shaking his body gently as if trying to wake him. "No, not like _this!_ Dammit, no, dude! _No!"_

Taylor felt his heart twist with guilt and grief, wishing he could help his friend; wishing he could spare him from the pain he felt. _The cycle..._ He thought distantly, vaguely recalling a faded memory of letters pinned to a wall. ... _repeats._ He thought awkwardly, shaking his head to try and clear it. _Stop... cycle. No more_... He thought, as he floated above the scene, watching his friend weep over his abandoned body.

Taylor felt a surge of power in his chest, wishing he could wrase the scene from his friends mind. As the thought occurred to him, the power in his chest tightened, and the cavern began to shake. A dark wind howled, and Raj stumbled backwards in shock, rising to his feet and fleeing towards the stairs.

Taylor lingered behind, and took in the sight of all which remained, the empty chairs; and his own lifeless body. He felt a sense of relief, a giddy joy, as he realised his friends were all alive; safe. He rose through earth, stone and roots, passing upward through the ruins. Through a crumbling window, he looked out from the shadows, as flashlight beams bobbed through the trees and shouting voices approached.

"Over here!" Mayor McKenzie called urgently, waving to a group of people behind her. "I've found them!"

Taylor cocked his head curiously, as Furball yipped worriedly, stalking outside the ruins entrance below him, as several figures staggered from the ruins. Taylors heart fluttered with joy, as Sean stumbled out and held himself against the outside wall with one arm. "Someone..." Sean rasped, as Aleister staggered past him and fell to his knees in the dirt.

"Please..." The pale boy panted, twisting awkwardly to gaze back st the ruins in horror, as they began to rumble and shake.

"Over here!" Quinn called out, in a voice hoarse from screaming. She stumbled out of the ruins, about to fall when Aleister pushed back to his feet and quickly caught her.

Zahra stepped forward, her knees shaking as she held back tears. "I think..." She gasped, choking as she looked into the oncoming group of rescuers. "I think I need some help..."

Diego walked out silently, his head hung low and his hands stuffed into the pockets of Taylors suit jacket. His grief palpable as he slowly turned and gazed back at the quivering ruins brokenly.

"Mom..." Rebecca called, as she stumbled free, her eyes widening when her mother rushed to her side and pulled her into a tearful hug; then held her at arms length, searching her face for answers.

"I don't understand. Is this everyone?" She demanded, frowning as she glanced over the other dishevelled teens. "Where are the rest of you?" 

Taylor felt his heart lurch with longing as another shape pushed free of the search party, hurrying to embrace Rebecca, before pulling back with a sense of urgency. "Becca, where is he?!" Jake demanded urgently, panting heavily as he fished out his phone and thrust the screen in her face. "What the hell did he mean by, ' _I'm_ _sorry'?!"_ He demanded, as Taylors heart lurched with grief and guilt. He drew back into the shadows slightly further, barely able to see the pilot as Rebecca wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding her brother back from launching into the ruins, as he began to howl and roar in fury and denial.

The stairway of the ruins began to crumble, falling in on itself and burying the passage down to the cavern in rubble; sealing the survivors out. As Taylor felt relief well in his gut, he caught a flash of movement in the corner of his eye, and he turned away from Jake's furious attempts to free himelf from his sister and mother, and race into the ruins. 

Taylor looked upward, through the rise of the woods, and locked eyes with a distant figure. He raised a shadowy, clawed hand and waved slowly. _"Raj..."_ He whispered, his voice escaping him as a hoarse croak. For a moment, it appeared like the large boy might call out to the search party and step forward,  but instead he turned; and ran.

Something brushed against his wrist, and Taylor looked down in surprise, to see Tetra staring up at him. " _Good dog_..." Taylor cooed gently, his shadowy hand stroking gently over his bony head. He looked down at the group which had been his friends, at the man he had loved, and slowly stepped back from the window; allowing the world to fade away, as he settled into the darkness.


	20. In Memoriam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise if anything disappears mid word... i fell asleep a bhnch editin and dropped my phone.
> 
> Im zoinked; ill man and its killin me. Am gonna head off tl trt sleep foe the first tkme in like... three days.
> 
> Im talkin shiiiii
> 
> Please comment and let me know whatcha thijk :)  
> One last chapter!! Boohoooo! Cant beliee its finally there... so proud of you babies ♡
> 
> Mmm so please lemme kkow what ya thinj.
> 
> I got horsws blockin string
> 
> X my love to you all X

**20.**

**In Memoriam.**

Jake's fingers tapped idly at the steering wheel, humming quietly to a quiet blues tune as he drove back to the stifling town he'd finally escaped years before. If not for the younger sister he adored, he'd have gladly never returned at all. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he imagined the awkward evening meal when he met with his parents, already irritated even just from their imaginary presence. He shook his head and forced the thoughts away, his eyes catching upon a welcome distraction at the side of the road.

 _Hello..._ He thought, his lips curving into a grin as he narrowed his eyes slightly, certain the figure seemed at least vaguely familiar. He smirked as the guy turned to check the sound of an approaching car, before quickly facing forward again, his cheeks noticeably dusted with pink. _Well, ain't that a pretty sight.._? He thought, slowing the car and pulling up alongside the guy, as he also stopped and turned to face him again. 

He leaned out the window with a cocky grin, his eyes quickly raking over the guy from his short red hair to his overwhelming belt usage, liking what he saw. "Hey," he drawled, as the guy broke into a slow and beautiful smile. "I know ya from somewhere?" He asked, cocking a brow curiously.

The guy hummed thoughtfully, taking his time as he dragged his eyes over Jake, who gripped the steering wheel tighter at the intense inspection of himself. "Well, I'd sure like to know you better!" He finally said with a coy wink, drawing a surprised bark of laughter from Jake.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to _that..."_ Jake admitted, pleased by the easy banter. His grin slowly began to fade, turning to a frown when he looked back at the guys face, to fond it clouded by shadows, obscured beyond recognition. "Wha-?" He wondered aloud, shaking his head as if to try and clear it. Rather than clear his vision, it seemed to make the shadows worsen, the darkness spreading to envelope the guy entirely, slowly sweeping away from the road as if they were smoke caught on a breeze. "Hey!" Jake called, stepping out of his car and moving towards the shadowy figure in confusion.

"... I'm _sorry..."_ The whispered words sent a shiver up Jake's spine, a curl of nausea spiking in his gut as a fierce swell of grief seemed to converge upon his heart. He gasped, his hand rising to his chest as he furrowed his brows at the rapidly retreating shadows. "Jake..."

Jake choked, his eyes widening as two small pinpricks of light slowly pierce through the shadows, seeming to gaze at him sadly. _"Taylor..."_ He mumbled, shaking his head as his heart began to hammer wildly against his chest. He ran his eyes over the wispy remains of the shadows, the guy who had been beneath them nowhere to be seen along the road side. _"Taylor!"_ He called urgently, moving to follow after the shadowy being as his eyes began to sting. He dodged through the trees, racing after the few dregs of darkness which he saw drifting on the breeze. He hurried blindly through the foliage, desperately trying to keep up with the wisps as they retreated to a clearing, where an ominous stone building stood in its centre. 

 _"Taylor!_ He called urgently, fear clawing at his heart and his pulse racing loudly in his ears, as Jake saw the building tremble. He tore across the clearing, throwing himself through the dark doorway as the shadows seeped away into the roots and earth below him, only for the stairway to collapse before him; blocking his way down to the lower levels. _"No!"_ He roared, slamming his fists against the rubble furiously, his nails chipping, cracking and ripping away as he clawed desperately at the debris and tried to clear it away; and all the while, he repeatedly screamed but a single name. _"Taylor!"_

Jake gasped as he woke from the familiar dream, his heart racing as he scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned in frustration. _"Godammit..."_ He sighed resignedly, his hand rising higher to tangle in his hair, as he stared vacantly at the ceiling.

"Bad dream, again?" Called an unusually soft voice, and Jake didn't even shift his gaze, as a weight gently settled beside him on the bed. "Ya know, it ain't somethin' ya gotta be ashamed of... We all have nightmares."

"Yeah, well. _You_ guys know what the hell to actually have nightmares about." Jake scoffed, grimacing as he sat up with a groan, his hands cradling his head as he turned his dejected gaze to his lap. "I just... I dunno what to imagine. I only got what y'all described that... Mr. Red, thing as... and I have no idea what-" He trailed off, swallowing heavily as he turned his head away from his sister.

"Ya know, maybe if ya took it easy on the drinkin', ya wouldn't be havin' quite such a lot of nightmares lately." Rebecca said, gently cupping Jake's cheek and forcing him to meet her concerned grey eyes. "Not to mention, ya head might stop hurtin' every once in awhile..." She added with a sad smile, pressing two small tablets into his palm.

"Heh, don't worry Becca, I'll get there... eventually." Jake assured, tossing back the tablets and swallowing them dry, sighing as he massaged his temples. "I just wish..."

"I know Jake, I _know._ We all do..." Rebecca said, gently brushing aside the curtain of Jake's hair and sweeping the hidden tears from his cheeks. "But... Well, once Taylor made up his mind about somethin', he was a total lost cause. Like when he first fell for you..." She said, her lips curving into a mischievous grin as Jake looked up in surprise.

"Whaddaya mean?" He asked hesitantly, his brow creasing in uncertain curiosity as he eyed his sister distrustfully.

"Don't look at me like that." Rebecca snorted, grabbing a pillow and stuffing it into her brothers face. "It's just, somethin' Aleister said once. He kissed Taylor... when, uh... when ya weren't speakin'..." She said awkwardly, before clearing her throat and quickly pushing on, barely giving him a chance to dwell on the words. "Anyway, he said that Taylor got this funny look; he was all dejected and mopey, and said something about not leading people on. Right away Aleister could see it, he said it was like Taylor had painted it on his forehead... Even said it."

"Said what?" Jake asked cautiously, his heart twisting in his chest as his throat closed, making it dry and painful to swallow down his grief.

"That you were a lucky guy." Rebecca said gently, smiling at her brother as she curled an arm around his tense shoulders and drew him closer. "He said Taylor lit up like a furnace. Heh... Course, I knew even before that." She said proudly, her tone lightening as she grinned and swatted Jake around the back of the head. "Now, enough wallowing. We're meetin' mom for lunch remember?" She said, standing from the bed and walking to the dresser. She paused before opening the drawer, her fingers trailing over the photo frame atop it briefly.

"Just... leave it alone, Becca." Jake sighed wearily, slowly rolling his legs from the bed, wincing and looking down as the sheets slipped away to reveal a jagged, silvery scar on his side. He trailed his fingers over the bite mark briefly, his thoughts unconsciously drawn to the plans he'd once made for it. _At least I'll have a sexy scar, right? Plus, ya can always kiss it better for me, soon as ya back.._. He cleared his throat, inhaling deeply through his nose as he forced his attention back to his sister. "He left it there. That's where it stays."

"How can ya stand seein' their stupid faces?" Rebecca asked, her voice trembling as her hands curled tightly around the corners of the frame, as if she wanted to snap it in half. "Knowin' what they did-"

"He left it _there."_ Jake repeated, gently nudging her aside and plucking the photo from her hands, replacing it to the top of the dresser, as he opened a drawer and grabbed some clothes.

"Oh, Jake..." Rebecca sighed, her grey eyes watering with a sympathy which made Jake's stomach cuddle with self loathing. "He wouldn't want ya to keep hurtin' yaself like thi-"

"Yeah, well." Jake said curtly, slamming the drawer shut abruptly. "I didn't want him to _die."_ He said snidely, instantly deflating at the words, burying his face kn his hands with a weary sigh. "How the hell did the little bastard manage to get so deep under my skin, Becca?" 

"Heh, all part of Taylors natural charm..." His sister huffed softly, chaffing her hands over his arms gently. "He was just... a genuinely good guy." She said, her voice breaking as she sniffed and stepped away. "I'll uh, I'll leave ya to get ready."

"Thanks..." Jake sighed, scratching his shoulder awkwardly. "But I am gonna need about six truck loads of coffee before I can face mom..." He said gruffly, glancing over at Rebecca with an uncharacteristic air of nervousness. "She's... asked me to speak tonight."

Rebecca paused in the doorway, raising a brow as she looked back at him in surprise. "Are ya gonna be okay with that?" She asked, frowning as Jake averted his eyes and ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"... Becca, I don't know what the hell to _say."_ He admitted guiltily, swallowing heavily as he finally pulled on a pair of jeans. "The truth is out of bounds, the lie feels like I'm betrayin' him... I just-"

"Hey." Rebecca said, moving closer and helping him raise his t shirt over his head. "When it's time, ya gonna know what feels right." She said, smiling fondly at her brother. "And I don't care if its truth, lie, deep and soul searchin' or random made up crap... I'm already positive, that ya gonna do him proud."

"Heh..." Jake huffed, a tiny grin curling his lips as he embraced his sister briefly, ruffling her hair and earning himself a scowl when she drew back. "Thanks, brat." He said, bumping his fist to her chin gently, before tipping his head towards the door.

"I'll see ya later, Jake." She called back to him, throwing a brief knowing scowl over her shoulder as she strode out the room to the stairs. "Don't be late!" She added, before disappearing down the stairs.

Jake huffed in amusement, watching her skip down the first few steps, before his eyes rose to the door at the opposite side of the hall. _A whole goddamn year_... He thought, swallowing the painful lump in his throat as he stared at the closed door as if his eyes had been glued to it. _How can it have been a whole year._.? He wondered vaguely, before recalling that he'd spent several months considerably cut off from sobriety. He drew in a deep breath, grabbing his jacket and sliding it over his arms as he slowly crossed the hall and came to a halt outside the door. _It's just a goddamn room_... He thought, frowning as he turned his eyes down to the handle, his fingers twitching with the desire to turn it. Jake sucked in a deep breath, before shaking his head and turning away, firmly telling himself he wasn't scared to enter and was merely too busy to sort through the room yet. He knew in his heart however, that he'd never thought such a devastating lie before.

As he strolled back into his room in search of his keys, Jake's eyes fell onto a familiar, well worn stack of paper. He paused, moving closer and trailing a finger over the corner, before clearing his throat and grabbing his keys from beside it. With a final glance, he headed downstairs to get in his car and find himself some decent coffee, his mind unconsciously reciting the words he now knew by heart.

_Hey guys... So, you'll have to forgive me; these letters were kind of mass produced if I'm honest, I didn't wanna make anyone seem like they were my favourite! Of course, that said, everyone knows just how head over heels I actually am for a certain, sexy pilot... So, minor favouritism found, heh. There are a few more personal touches to each letter later, but even so, you're probably wondering why I wrote you these letters by now, if they're mostly the same. Well, I guess, the biggest reason? Was that I've... been lying to you all. And I wanted to put that right._

_First off, I wanna say that I'm sorry. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, I just... I guess in a way, I kinda of thought I deserved it all. Another part of me just, didn't wanna burden you all with my problems. You all struggle with so much... my crap just honestly seemed kind of pathetic in comparison. Anyway, the truth is; my parents, are never coming back. Ever since Kele died, they were never the same... and they started leaving me in intervals a few years back, but then... one day after my aunt died, a note was on the table when I got home from school, just a final goodbye and an order to never contact them again. So long as I obeyed and kept up the ruse of them merely being 'delayed' I could have the house and a seriously hefty allowance. Heh, the things people will do not to have to see a guy, huh?_

_I really am sorry I didn't tell you... I guess a part of me was also ashamed. I didn't want you all to feel sorry for me. Stupid, I know but... Well, I heard this rumour that I'm a bit of an idiot. Anyway, to cut a long and boring story short; Jake kind of found out awhile ago, and he made me realise that I was being a tool, so... I guess you should all thank him for getting me to finally 'fess up!_

_Ahem! So, now that all that depressing part is over; I wanted to share something with you all, and don't worry! It does actually kind of tie in with me finally filling you guys in... just, bear with me._

_Over the past few weeks, I've come to realise that there's a lot more to this whole 'family' business than I thought... See, I was pretty lost for awhile, in fact I think we all were, in our own ways. But coming back together with you guys, fighting by your sides, standing up together and comforting each other? It made me realise just how much you all mean to me. I love you guys, and I'm honestly just so overwhelmed by how much my life has changed, having you all in it again. I... Okay, no laughing at me; but, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world... because my family, is the greatest a guy could ever dream of. You, all of you, have made such a huge difference in my life... You've taught me what love is, and I can never thankyou enough. But I'll never stop trying to be worthy of you all. If there ever comes a time I can show you all just how much I love you, you can bet your gorgeous asses I won't hesitate. I'd do anything for each and everyone of you... Never doubt it. You mean everything to me_.

 _Quinn... You've faced so much more than all of us already. You spent most of your life living both with your illness, and all the backlash of what we went through. I know you've always felt you were weaker than us because of it, but I always thought you were the strongest one of us all. To go through so much, and yet still be such a loving and bright person? Well, that takes real skill beautiful... I hope you never change, and that you finally get to enjoy the world_.

Quinn wiped her eyes, sucking in a deep breath and holding it briefly, before exhaling slowly, a small smile curling her lips as she folded away the familiar letter. Sunlight warmed her face through the window of the coffee shop, and she leaned her head against the cool glass as she watched the people on the street outside bustle about their lives. She swallowed down the sting of loss which tried to rise again in her heart, smothering it beneath the affection and love which the letter always inspired in her.

"... Quinn?" A quiet voice startled her, and she turned with a faint hum of surprise, to find herself face to face with a gently laughing blonde. "I said, here's your cocoa, silly..." Michelle said, setting a mug down before Quinn and kissing the top of her head softly. "What has gotten into you today? You're so spaced out..."

"Sorry." Quinn said, carefully slipping her letter back into its envelope and tucking it away in her favourite book, before stowing it safely away in her bag. "I was just... lost in thought." A moment of silence passed between them, as Quinn took a sip from her mug and avoided meeting Michelle's gaze.

"Quinn..." Michelle said softly, scooting closer and reaching across to cover Quinn's hand with her own. Quinn hesitated, before slowly raising her eyes to finally meet the blondes eyes, frowning to find the blonde biting her lip. "I... know what today is."

"Michelle..." Quinn sighed, tapping the fingers of her free hand to the tabletop nervously, as her heart quivered with grief in her chest. "I... I don't really wanna talk about it. I'm sorry, I know you just want to help, but..." She paused, biting her lip as she looked down at her lap. "A year has not been enough time to make me feel okay about... well, any of it really."

Michelle squeezed her hand gently, before letting it go. "Of course." She said, leaning on the edge of the table. "Whatever you need. Talking, not talking. We'll get through it together..." She promised, smiling fondly. "And I'll be with you the whole time." She added, leaning over the table to softly press her lips to Quinn's.

Quinn smiled, letting out a small laugh as she reached forward and took Michelle's hand in her own again. "Today's... gonna be tough at times, I think. But, I'm glad I have you with me." She said, laughing again when Michelle winked at her coyly, before turning her attention out the window. Quinn sighed, focusing herself on the warmth of her cocoa as she tried to relax.

"Oh god, would you look at that?" Michelle scoffed, drawing Quinn to follow her gaze out the window. When she didn't see anything noteworthy, she glanced at Michelle and raised a brow curiously. "Uh, hello? Fashion tragedy at ten o'clock?" Michelle drawled, gesturing towards a perfectly ordinary guy outside.

Quinn frowned and turned back to the blonde. "Come on, Michelle. It's not that bigger deal..." She said quietly, looking down at the table as she plucked at imaginary crumbs. "Remember what we talked about?" She asked, a small and mischievous smirk curling her lips as she glanced back up at the blonde. "If you can't say something nice..."

"Oh, Quinn, be fair!" Michelle pouted, jostling her with her elbow playfully. "That hairstyle with that shirt, and those shoes? And who the hell needs to wear more than one belt?!" She demanded, as the smile fell from Quinn's lips abruptly.

"... Taylor was always determined that the more belts you wore, the more fashionable you were." She said, gazing into her mug with a distant look in her eyes. "He always sulked if he had to reduce himself to only wearing one." She huffed, her eyes stinging as she drew in a deep, shaky breath. "Michelle... I really need you to try a little harder." She said sadly, swallowing heavily to try and tramp down her grief. 

"Quinn, I..." The blonde paused, fidgeting awkwardly in her seat, before sighing heavily. "I gotta admit, having that many belts does make a really bold statement about, uh, dedication... and, something..." She trailed off awkwardly, her cheeks flushing red as Quinn finally took pity in her and smiled.

"Did I ever tell you, that it was Taylor convinced me to give you another chance?" She asked, reaching for Michelle's hand, as the blonde looked at her in surprise and shook her head. "He saw us, at homecoming... the whole fiasco. And I was about to tell you we were done, that I couldn't keep forgiving you. But he started shaking his head like a fool, then pointing and nodding at us holding hands... God Michelle, I miss him so much." She sniffed, her throat constricting painfully as she determinedly held back a sob. 

"Hey..." Michelle said soothingly, scooting closer to her as she squeezed her hand and gently swept away the tear which escaped Quinn's tight control to roll over her cheek. "I know... Taylor and I never saw eye to eye, and I know that was mostly my fault-" she paused, chuckling faintly at the dark look which Quinn threw her. "Okay, all my fault. But, he was a good guy, even when the world was throwing it's worst at him... I don't think he'd want you to cry for him."

"I know he wouldn't." Quinn agreed, sucking in a deep breath and squeezing Michelle's hand hard in return, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. "I just wish he hadn't..." She swallowed heavily, choking down the words which made her eyes sting dangerously, and looked over at Michelle, forcing a small smile. "Thankyou, by the way. I appreciate you trying."

Michelle shrugged and glanced away, trying to appear nonchalant, though her cheeks turned pink despite her efforts. "Anything for you." She mumbled, before casting a sly look back at Quinn. "Besides, its not like it's that hard. Being nice, I mean. It's kind of just... being mean, in reverse?" She said with a small frown, causing Quinn to laugh mid sip of her drink.

"Being mean in reverse?" She choked, almost spitting out her drink. "That makes no sense... I thought you were supposed to be smart, miss doctor!" She laughed, warmth spreading through her heart again as the blonde pouted at her.

"What? It makes _total_ sense." Michelle scoffed, clearly relieved by Quinn's lightening mood. "Instead of telling someone their hair looks terrible, I say it looks... not terrible." She finished lamely, smiling when Quinn laughed again, before finally joining in.

Quinn shook her head, smiling down at her lap as her laughter trailed off, sensing Michelle watching her closely. "What?" She asked quietly, biting her lip as she peeked up at the blonde shyly.

Michelle laughed again and kissed her hand for a long pause, before lowering it and gazing at Quinn with obvious adoration. "I honestly love you." She said proudly, beaming at Quinn joyfully.

Quinn flushed, ever delighted by the confession as she smiled and squeezed Michelle's hand in response. "Michelle..." She sighed, leaning closer on the edge of the table and touching her head to the blondes briefly. "I love you too."

"Really?" Michelle asked, drawing back with a huge, euphoric grin.

"Really." Quinn confirmed, chuckling at Michelle's pleased glow. "I... I was just waiting for the right time to-" Michelle cut her off with a sudden kiss, her lips soft as they pressed to Quinn's eagerly.

"Sorry, you were saying?" The blonde asked, drawing back with an enormous grin several long moments later.

"I... honestly can't remember." Quinn giggled, biting her lip as Michelle winked proudly and sat back to drink some of her coffee, without letting go of Quinn's hand. Quinn sighed, focusing on the warmth of Michelle's hand in her own and smiling at the content beat of her heart, as the sun shone through the window on them both.

 _Sean... honestly dude, I don't know anyone so determinedly selfless. You have this unending supply of faith in people, even after everything you and your mom went through, and its hella inspiring. It takes a lot of guts to make such a drastic change as you did, switching from football to basketball, even more so; when everyone fought you every step of the way. You've proven that nobody should be defined by any one thing they try their hand at... But I want to remind you, that you aren't the game that you play. I know that you're biggest fear was turning into your dad, but dude; it wasn't football that made him the way he was. You shouldn't let him spoil your love of the game, because you really did love it... Maybe one day, we could play a little... and the fact I'm actually willing to get all dirty and gross playing sports? That right there should tell you just how awesome I am, and how much I value your friendship_.

"Good hustle on those shooting drills, everyone!" Sean called across the school gym, smiling at his team mates as he clapped and waved them back to the benches. "Lets take five, then split into two teams for a scrimmage." He said, as he crouched by the bleachers briefly and grabbed his jacket and fingered the edges of the papers jutting from his pocket fondly.

"Sure thing, Cap." Ben called, as Sean glanced up in surprise, before shaking his head with a dejected sigh as he reminded himself that his friend was not there to use the title, as opposed to the nickname.

"You ready to get wrecked, Ben?" Tom goaded playfully, jostling the former captain as they jogged across the court.

"Heh, we'll see about that." Ben huffed, heading over to the bleachers to stretch and grab water with their other team mates, while Sean quietly slipped away to the locker room and collapsed onto the bench.

 _"Rrrgh!"_ He growled in frustration, his jacket falling to the floor as both hands clutched at his knee, trying to soothe the hot pain which stabbed through his bones. "Damn it..." He sighed,squeezing his eyes shut and breathing through clenched teeth until the pain subsided.

"Bad today?" Came a concerned voice, causing Sean to jump and turn in surprise, to find Craig leaning against the doorway.

"Craig!" He choked, his brow furrowing at the jock as his surprise faded. "What're you doing here, man?" He asked, deftly avoiding the jocks question.

"Got the afternoon off practice, so thought I'd come support my bro, of course." Craig said teasingly, smiling as he pushed away from the doorframe and approached Sean, stooping to collect his jacket from the floor and gently tuck the folded papers back into his pocket. "Is that..?" He asked, gesturing to the papers uncertainly.

"Yeah... Yeah that's it." Sean said, knowing what the jock was asking. His eyes darted between Craig's thoughtful expression, and the jacket which he carefully carried to the bench, setting it gently beside Sean.

"I'm sorry, brah... I know what today is. I... I skipped practice. Wanted to make sure you were doing okay." Craig sighed, his shoulders falling slightly as he averted his eyes in embarrassment. "I, uh, I was thinking about the last time I saw him... I was way outta line, but I can't apologise now."

"He was the kinda guy that would appreciate you just thinking that you wanna, Craig." Sean said, smiling sadly at his friend. "And I appreciate it too... along with your checking in on me."

The pair remained in comfortable silence for a long pause, while Sean massaged his leg gently and tried to soothe the worst of the lingering pain. "You never answered, brah..." Craig said quietly, finally breaking the silence between them. "Its bad today?" He asked again, gesturing to Sean's injured leg.

"Uh..." Sean hesitated, debating whether to lie for a moment, before finally rolling his eyes and giving in. "Yeah... its bad." He admitted, glaring at his knee, the skin a tangle of angry red scars. "Two surgeries, buncha titanium screws, physical therapy..." He muttered petulantly, his irritation easy to hear. "And the stupid thing still knocks me on my ass some days." He said, shaking his head as his frustration faded, his heart sinking as the thought entered his mind; I'd gladly be crippled the rest of my life, if only Taylor hadn't- he drew in a deep breath, swallowing thickly at the grief and guilt which gnawed at him. "It's not _fair."_ He said quietly, unaware of the tear which slid from his eyes.

Craig drew in a inhaled heavily, sitting beside his friend on the bench. "So... that why you're hiding in here?" He asked, frowning at his friend curiously. "Because of the leg? Or the guilt?" He added, chuckling when Sean looked again up in surprise. "Heh, I had a lot to think about and regret, since I woke up dude... Kinda recognise the look from the mirror."

"I'm not _hiding._ I just..." Sean growled petulantly, grimacing as he tried and failed to find the words to deny the jocks accurate guess. "Didn't want anyone to see me." Sean finally supplied weakly, as Craig snorted and gently jostled his shoulder.

"Yeah man, you're right." He scoffed, rolling his eyes fondly. "Totally different, bro." A comfortable silence fell over them for a long pause, until Craig shifted so that he was facing toward his friend. "Look, I get it if you're creaking out a little. Your first game back since the injury, since..." He paused, clearing his throat and switching the subject with unusual tact and thoughtfulness. "Plus, having to repeat senior year 'cause of all your medical leave... Totally _blows,_ dude."

Sean grimaced, his eyes on his injured knee as he tried to find the word to express himself. "It's not that..." He finally admitted, sighing as the silence built around them again. "I don't wanna lose it all again, ya know? Not after everything I've done to get here... But, at the same time-" Sean paused, swallowing heavily as he shook his head. "At the same time I don't know if I can stand to play anymore... I don't know how I even _can_ play, when one bad step can take me from a zero to a ten on the pain scale." He finally confessed.

Craig nodded quietly, unusually thoughtful as he considered his friends words. "You know, I still don't remember much from the attack at homecoming... But I'm pretty sure you surviving that, was _way_ more of a challenge than the crap you're facing right now." He said slowly, as if weighing his words carefully. "I know... it took a lot for you to explain everything to me and Meech, and we... well, we might not have even really deserved that explanation, looking back." The jock sighed, looking over at Sean sadly. "But I can promise you dude, I'm gonna try and be a better person... a better _friend,_ so that you know I always got your back."

"I know that, man..." Sean said, shaking his head slowly. "It's good to be talking to you again. Taylor... kept telling me to tell you." He admitted, swallowing heavily as he remembered the many times they'd hovered on the topic.

"Hey, bro..." Craig said, after several long seconds of hesitation. "What... what would he tell you, right now? If he could, I mean..." He asked, his large frame seeming to shrink in on itself in uncertainty.

Sean frowned, glancing at the letter tucked into his jacket pocket for a moment as he thought. "I guess... first off, he'd call me an idiot." He said, his lips twitching with fond amusement. "Then..? He'd probably agree that everything does sound kind of impossible, before making a big show of having remembered something amazing... When I asked him what it was, he'd probably swat me round the back of the head."

Craig grinned, sniggering as he held up his hand and gently scuffed it across the back of Sean's head. "What's next, brah?" He encouraged, smiling when Sean seemed to finally relax slight.

"He'd tell me that I'm an idiot again, for good measure..." Sean chuckled, the sadness receding just slightly from his eyes. "And, he'd remind me that I don't have to play the game by myself... Abd that even if I'm worried I might be holding the team back by not pulling my weight..." He said, drawing in a deep breath as he reluctantly thought back to their teams recent track record. "It's the new training regime I implemented, that got us our first two wins this season."

"So, in other words you've already done more work than any of those los-" Craig paused, frowning as he thought for a moment before his lips quirked into an easy grin. "Than any of your _team mates,_ combined." He said, as Sean smiled at the effort his friend had made to readjust his phrasing. "Sean, man... You don't have anything to prove to anyone anymore. You _know_ that. And as for the _other_ thing..." He said knowingly, as Sean tensed beside him. "I'm pretty sure you know what he'd say about that too... I might not have got to know him well, might have been an ass to him, but I know he'd tell you; it _wasn't_ your fault."

Sean stared at his injury for a long moment, thinking over the jocks words and trying hard to pretend he didn't know they were true. Finally he sighed, reluctantly raising his gaze to his friend with a small smile. "We forgot the part where he'd try and get me to kick anyone who ever even looked at me funny, off the team... Possibly set them on fire too."

 _"Ooh,_ are we allowed to do that? I'm _so_ down for that." Tom said, as he waltzed into the locker room with a knowing grin. "Thought I'd find you hiding in here."

"I'm _not_ hiding!" Sean protested again, scowling when Craig started to snigger at him.

"Yeah, brah, he just 'didn't want anyone to see him'..." The jock quoted, as Tom laughed quietly and sat on Sean's other side. Sean glared between the pair, before finally rolling his eyes, huffing in quiet amusement at their banter. "To get serious though, bro? I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're gonna work hard, and play strong... and everyone is gonna be calling out to see Sean Gayle; giving the opposition Hayle."

"Heh..." Sean chuckled, smiling in surprise and fondness, as he recalled Taylors more vibrant and energetic cheers.

"So... you gonna head back out there?" Tom asked, hopping up and bouncing on the balls of his feet briefly. "I mean, if your leg feels better."

Sean slowly got to his feet, glancing at the letter protruding from his jacket one final time, before smiling at his friends. "Yeah... its actually feeling pretty good. You coming to watch, Craig?" He asked, his hand clapping loudly against the jocks, as Craig exchanged a hugh five with him.

"Wouldn't miss it." Craig assured, grinning as he swept his arm before him and gestured for Sean to lead the way. "After you, captain." Sean smiled, his heart twitching at the title, but dulled from the ache he'd previously felt. He followed Tom back onto the court, while Craig took a seat on the bleachers.

Sean focused himself on the game, as he squared off against Tom and two new freshman players, with Ben and Drew on his side. "Too bad you're stuck with the newbies, Tom." Ben teased,grinning when Tom threw him a confident wink.

"Just means it'll be more embarrassing when we crush you!" He declared competitively, staging a dramatic chest thumping session with his two team mates.

"Don't get _too_ cocky..." Sean said, swiping the bakk and starting to drive towards the basket. His leg twinged suddenly, forcing him to stop with a gasp and a pained wince. He looked around for someone to pass to, and noticed that Ben was open.

"Sean, over here!" The former captain called, holding out his hands eagerly. Sean raised a brow and smirked as he considered lobbing the ball at his former nemesis's face, before passing the ball into his hands instead; allowing the other player to pivot and sink an easy basket. _"Woo!_ That's two-nothing!" Ben cheered, raising his hands in triumphant glee.

"Hey look, Ben actually knows how to count." Craig called from the bleachers, drawing the team to begin sniggering at their team mate. Ben's eyes burnt with rage, and he opened his mouth to reply, before stopping himself abruptly.

"You're a real _jerk,_ Hsiao..." He called back, giving him the finger for good measure and causing the jock to laugh even harder than the rest of the team.

"Takes one to know one." He called back, as Sean watched on with a lingering smile, content at the sense of camaraderie which surrounded them all.

_Rebecca... You and your freakishly strong hands have never failed to make it very obvious to me if and when I am being an idiot. I have bruises which can contest to this. But honestly, I wouldn't trade them for anything. Just like I wouldn't trade you. You're like this fiery whirlwind, you have such a vibrancy, a thirst for life which shows in everything you do. You're a strong and capable young woman... stop laughing at my phrasing... and your mom seriously needs to watch her back; because I have no doubt you could surpass her in all things, with very little time or effort at all._

_I know you struggled, back before we started speaking again, and even as we came together again... We all knew what it was to be alone by that point, but you had to deal with so many expectations as well. I'm sorry, for all the time I wasn't there to remind you, just how amazing I always thought you were._

Rebecca huffed in exasperation, as she rushed into the restaurant five minutes past when she was supposed to meet her mother abs brother for lunch. She ran up to the concierge, and was about to ask where her family was seated, when she saw a hand raise into the air and heard an unmistakable voice call to her. "Becca!" Jake waved her over to a table in the back, rising to hug her as she approached, and her mother followed suit a second later.

 _"You're_ late." Her mother said, though she seemed more relaxed than Rebecca had been expecting her to be over the situation.

"I know!" She said, rolling her eyes as she recounted her hectic race over to the restaurant. "Sorry, one of the girls fell off the balance beam at work, and it was a whole mess." She explained, glancing at Jake worriedly as he noticeably tried to keep his eyes away from one of the private booths a short distance away.

"Don't apologize." Her mother replied, a smile breaking out across her face, surprising Rebecca as it always did. "I'm just happy to see ya, hon." She said, kissing both of Rebecca's cheeks, before returning to her seat and allowing Rebecca to quickly pull out the chair next to Jake and sit beside him.

"What'd I miss?" She asked brightly, smiling as she grabbed a menu and quickly began browsing through the options.

"Nothin' much " Jake said, smiling back at her gently. "Mom was goin' on about her new campaign efforts. Totally missable." He said, ruffling her hair and smiling at her affectionately.

Their mother shot Jake a firm look, but she couldn't help but smile. "Now that ya here, I wanna hear about you." She said, reaching across the table to grasp Rebecca's hand gently. "How're things goin'?"

"Things?" Rebecca asked, raising a brow suspiciously. "Ya mean like my love life?" She asked, smirking when Jake choked on his drink.

"Nah, she don't mean _that!_ None of us need to hear about that. That's _all_ ya own business..." He scoffed once he'd recovered, shaking his head as he grimaced and deftly avoided her elbow to the ribs.

"Well, ya know how I hate to pry, but..." Their mother began, shooting Jake a more prominent look.

"Pfft, yeah, ya ain't nosy at all, mom." Rebecca scoffed, rolling her eyes at her mothers transparency. Jake grimaced again as he pointedly turned away, flagging down the waiter for another drink to avoid having to listen, in case Rebecca chose to give their mother details. "Well, if ya must know..." She said leadingly, laughing quietly at her brothers stiff shoulders. "There's nothin' really serious goin' on." She said, laughing louder at Jake's audible sigh of relief. "I've been on a couple casual dates, and I kinda prefer that for now."

"Are ya sure ya have time for that?" Her mother asked, a small frown beginning to crease her brow. "These are goin' to be some very important years for ya future, Rebecca... I would hate to think ya ain't makin' the most of 'em."

"Mom..." Rebecca sighed, rolling her eyes as frustration welled in her chest, her fingers toying with the edge of her menu as she leaned back in her chair.

"All I'm sayin', is that if ya waste time now, ya'll regret it in a few years, when ya playin' catch up..." Her mother continued, waving her arm before her in emphasis. "And all of ya peers are passin' ya by and... and..." She trailed off, her eyes flitting between Rebecca's raised brow and Jake's unimpressed scowl. "I'm oversteppin' again, ain't I?" She guessed, as Jake rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Just a little." He groused, shrugging a shoulder dismissively, as Rebecca noticed him glance over at the private booths again.

"It's okay, mom." Rebecca said, shaking her head as she bit her lip and watched Jake's shoulders tense and relax, his entire body seeming wound tight like a spring about to snap free.

"No, no." Their mother said, drawing Rebecca's attention as from her brothers obvious struggle. "I said I'd be better about this, and dammit if we McKenzie's can't do anythin' we set our minds to!"

"I'll drink to that!" Rebecca laughed, as her mother spluttered and scowled.

"No, you will _not."_ She scoffed, and Rebecca rolled her eyes at her mothers determination to keep her from drinking, despite being knowing she did it with other people.

"Don't worry brat, I'll drink to that on ya behalf." Jake said, smirking as he raised his glass and neatly drained his whiskey.

Rebecca frowned, but lifted her water glass, tapping it to Jake's empty glass before he could set it back on the table. She continued to watch her brother through their meal, concerned by the obvious weight on his shoulders, but relieved at the progress he had made over the past year _. I still wish I could've done more to stop him gettin' hurt like this though... If only I could've stopped..._ She thought as they progressed to desserts, chatting amiably about various topics _. Oh, Taylor... I wish-_ she cut her thoughts off however, forcing herself back into the conversation and away from the traumatic events of the year before, which had stolen away her friend and left her brother broken.

Shortly after they'd finished their final course, Rebecca and her family left the restaurant with small groans of satisfaction. "I am stuffed!" Her mother said, groaning as she patted her stomach for emphasis. "I may need a quick nap when I get home." She huffed, chuckling before glancing between them both. "I don't suppose I can convince either of ya to come with me..?" She asked, frowning at the loud snort from Jake.

Rebecca elbowed her brother, taking her mothers hands in both of her own. "Mom, I know ya mean well... but, we have a home." She said gently, squeezing her mothers hands before releasing them. "We'll come visit another time, but we're gonna spend some time catchin' up and relaxin'... before..." She trailed off, biting her lip as she turned to her brother.

"Yeah, yeah, mom." Jake huffed, briefly embracing her and kissing her cheek. "See ya at the memorial tonight."

"Ya still goin' to speak-?" she began, before Rebecca loudly cleared her throat, biting her lip as her eyes darted to Jake's tense shoulders.

"We'll see ya later, mom." Rebecca said firmly, wrapping her in another hug before nudging her off towards her car. With a frown, their mother took the hint, walking away as Rebecca watched and laid her hand gently on her brothers arm.

"This... memorial tonight..." Jake said, frowning as their mother drove away and turning to his sister with concern in his clear eyes. "Are ya sure ya gonna be up for it?" He asked, chuckling quietly when Rebecca stared at him in surprise. "What? I might be a self centered bastard, but I can still notice when my little sister ain't right, ya know..." He huffed, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Shouldn't I be the one askin' you that?" Rebecca sighed, leaning against Jake's chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled quietly. "Honestly..? I don't think I really have a choice." She said, as Jake rubbed her back. "We made a promise that we'd meet up tonight... to remember. I can't back out now." She said quietly, before drawing back with a grin and jabbing her fist against Jake's shoulder. "Besides, someone's gotta keep ya from bein' such a misery guts and make sure ya don't embarrass him."

Jake huffed quietly, rolling his eyes as he muttered to himself. "As if I would..." He groused, before looking back to her with a raised brow. "What about ya... research? Any hits?" He asked, clearing his throat as he bit his lip hopefully.

"Nada." Rebecca sighed reluctantly, tugging at her ponytail in frustration. "Dudes a freakin' ghost." She added, scowling down the street in irritation. "And it's not like the cops will share info with some random vigilante, 'specially if they ain't willin' to share with you..." She grumbled, turning her eyes back to Jake's determinedly, and reaching over to take his hand in her own. "But trust me, when I _do_ find Raj, I'm gonna make him wish _he'd_ died in those ruins."

"Not alone, ya won't." Jake growled, squeezing her hand tightly, as he grit his teeth and drew in a deep breath. "Second ya find any hint of that little sneak, we hit the road. _Together."_

Rebecca smiled sadly, sensing the pain and loss which radiated from her brother, combining with the sense of loss she felt herself at having lost her friend. "Right." She agreed, kissing Jake's cheek and wrapping her arm around his waist. "But for now, wanna play hookie and head home for the afternoon?" She asked, as Jake huffed and rolled his eyes, stepping back and dragging her toward the car park. 

"It's like ya read my mind." He snorted, leading her towards his car and slipping into the drivers seat.

As her brother started the engine, Rebecca drew her phone from her purse, opening her photos and staring at the picture Jake had taken for them on the way to homecoming. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to gaze out the window as her brother drove them home, hiding her tears as best she could, as she remembered the friend; almost brother, that she'd lost.

_Aleister... Nobody in the world can use so many big words, when saying something so tiny. I think you once greeted me with a six sentence extension of the word 'hello'. Not that I mind, I mean, its hilarious; I actually think its an amazing talent._

_Our whole ragtag little family has no limit to their determination, should they decide to put their minds to something... But you, my friend? I think maybe the word dedication was invented for you. You've accomplished things that, honestly seem impossible to me sometimes. I don't know if its luck or sheer stubbornness half the time, but whatever it is, it makes you a damned formidable guy._

_Your hard work has never failed to inspire me, the effort you put into even the most menial tasks is... simply put, amazing. But just do me a favour dude..? Remember to do something for yourself sometimes... Perfection is a pretty word and all,  but its awful constrictive when applied to a person_.

Aleister listened in rapt attention, as his Environmental Studies professor closed her lecture. "Please take note, there's an exhibit  on sustainable architecture in the Miller Gallery this week." She said, smiling around her class. "I encourage you all to go."

Aleister raised his hand, waiting until the professor nodded in his direction before speaking. "Is attending the exhibit a requirement for this class?" He asked curiously.

"It is not." The professor replied, though she frowned slightly in disappointment. "But, I do think it will give you some insights on this weeks reading." She explained, half turning away before snapping her fingers and facing the class again. "Ah, I've also graded your papers from last week, so please come and collect them on your way out... That's all folks."

Aleister packed away his things and joined the line of students filing past the table at the front of the hall, grabbing his own essay from the pile. "What the devil-?!" he choked, frowning at his mark in disbelief. "A _B-minus?!"_ He demanded, feeling his heart begin to race, the paper trembling between his fingers. He quickly stepped out of line, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. _It's just one paper, dude, stop being such a drama queen! That's my job!_ The thought made him chuckle briefly, his panic attack abating slightly, only to be replaced by a familiar sense of loss and guilt, a longing to have his friend actually able to say such things to him again.

"Problem?" A voice asked, and Aleister looked up in surprise to find that he and his professor were the only two remaining in the hall.

Aleister cleared his throat, quickly covering his emotional vulnerability with a careful mask of indifference. "Apologies, ma'am, I was initially disappointed, but..." He trailed off for a moment, huffing to himself as his lips twitched into a small smile. "No, there's no problem here." He said quietly.

"Mmhmm." His professor snorted knowingly, smiling at him warmly. "I've seen that look before, young man. I call it 'First Freshman Paper Face'." She teased.

"I suppose the school guidance counselor was correct, when they informed me that college would be more taxing..." Aleister conceded thoughtfully, looking back at his paper briefly, before moving to pack it away.

"May I..?" His professor asked, holding out her hand for the paper. Aleister raised a brow, but handed the paper back to her without comment. She skimmed through the first page, nodding to herself. "Ah, yes... I remember this one. Your thesis was very strong, but I found your supporting arguments a tad unpolished. Perhaps another round of editing next time?" She suggested kindly.

"Yes, you're correct." Aleister said, frowning at the paper critically, narrowing his eyes as he scratched his chin. "It did need some more polish. I just-" he broke off abruptly, looking down at his shoes as his pale cheeks coloured with pink. "I apologize, ma'am. I expect you neither need nor want to hear excuses... I shall endeavour to improve for next time."

Aleister's professor raised a brow at him, cocking her head curiously. "I always want my students to tell me what's troubling them, Mr. Rourke." She said quietly, glancing at her watch before looking back at him with a smile. "And as it happens, we're currently within my scheduled office hours. So..."

"Ah..." Aleister paused, caught off guard by the open offer. "Very well." He said, recovering himself quickly. He considered his words carefully for a moment, debating how to phrase his issue. _Oh stop overthinking things, Aleister! Just bloody well tell the nice lady what your problem is already!_ His lip twitched at the thought, a movement somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "Ahem. To be perfectly honest with you ma'am, last year; there was an incident. A highly traumatizing experience which... cost me something irreplaceable. I would, prefer not to delve into the details of these events but, needless to say I am still recovering." Aleister finally explained stiffly.

His professor watched him intently for a long moment, before lowering her gaze briefly. "I am very sorry to hear that." She offered quietly, folding her arms over her chest as she returned her gaze to his.

"Generally speaking I am perfectly well enough to attend class," Aleister quickly assured, clearing his throat as he glanced around the hall briefly. "However... I must now take care to prioritize my health as well. Last week, I was sadly left to choose between spending another hour on that paper, or forcing myself to partake of a much needed hour of sleep." He admitted reluctantly, grimacing as he shifted his weight awkwardly. 

Aleister's professor looked at him for another moment, before picking up his paper once more, flipping through its pages again as she read for a long interval. Aleister shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat as he raised a curious brow. "So... did you wish to discuss something about my paper, or-"

"First, I want to say that I admire your self awareness." His professor cut him off, looking up at him with a smile which he could almost consider as being proud. "It usually takes until junior year for students to recognize the importance of sleep."

"Thankyou, ma'am." Aleister said, tipping his head in a small bow like gesture. "I wish I had not had to learn that lesson the hard way..." He admitted quietly.

"I'm sure you do." His professor agreed, nodding along with him. She cocked her head at him thoughtfully, resting one hand on the table as she eyed him critically. "Second, I have a question." She said, raising a brow at him curiously. "Can you guess why I remembered your paper in particular?"

Aleister frowned, glancing down at his paper in her hand before flicking his eyes back to hers. "Was it perchance, because I used the word 'juxtapose' too often?"

"At least four times, by my count." His professor chuckled, as Aleister sighed and flushed guiltily.

"I have... been attempting to cut back." He reluctantly admitted. _Damn Aleister, if this is you cutting back, I dread to think how bad you were before... What, every sentence you were juxtaposing your little hidden heart out?_ Aleister grit his teeth together tightly, hiding his hands by folding his arms over his chest.

"Actually, your paper stood out, because of passages like this..." His professor said, clearing her throat as she found the passage she was after. " _Many choose to draw a distinction between the natural world, and the work humanity creates for itself... But to separate ourselves from nature, is to deny responsibility for its wellbeing. We do so, at our own peril_." She read aloud, handing the paper back to Aleister with a small smile. "You're very passionate about environmental conservation, aren't you, Mr. Rourke?"

"Certainly." Aleister agreed easily, inclining his head in a small nod. "Ever since I was a child. I..." He paused, a tiny smile flickering on his lips briefly, as he considered what he wanted from his future. "I should like to become involved in politics someday. I wish to write laws which shall protect and preserve the environment."

"A worthy goal indeed." His professor agreed, humming with approval. "Hold on to that passion, Mr. Rourke. That, more than anything, is what's going to set you apart. With Rourke International backing you... I can imagine you succeeding where many before you have failed." She said warmly.

Aleister hugged his paper to his chest with uncharacteristic shyness, an irrepressible smirk forming on his lips. "Indeed, I shall, I assure you." He said, inclining his head in thanks. "Thank you ma'am, I..." He trailed off as an alarm began to sound on his phone."The memorial..!" He gasped, his eyes widening in surprise. He looked up sharply, nodding to his professor quickly as he finally tucked his paper into his bag. "My apologies, I must depart. There's a... somewhere I must be." He said, turning on his heel and hurrying towards the door.

"Mr. Rourke?" His professor called, causing him to pause halfway out the hall to glance back. "Do stop by that exhibit I mentioned. I think you'll enjoy it, very much." She said, smiling warmly.

"I shall." He confirmed, nodding briskly. "My thanks again." He added, before stepping out of the hall and into the afternoon sun.

_Zahra... man, where do I even start? How could I have survived so long, without your sharp wit to guide me, huh? I have honestly never known someone who is so legitimately badass as you... and okay, you're as prickly as a cactus; but I wouldn't change you for the world._

_I know people tend to see you as some sort of flake... they think you'd sooner abandon them, should trouble arise, but I know better. I've seen you stare down terrifying beasts, and call them cute. I've seen you face creatures which most people would only see in their worst nightmares, and laugh... And you've always done it, to protect someone else. You're fiercely loyal, despite how you try to hide it... And I hope to god that you never, ever change_.

The hours quietly crept by, as Zahra typed feverishly on her laptop, muttering to herself as she checked her facts. "Hang on..." She growled, narrowing her eyes as she read through a file. "If this dude was born in nineteen twelve, that would mean he's..."

"Hey, it's Zahra!" Tom called, startling Zahra and causing her to lose her concentration, as her eyes flicked over to him. "Hi, Zahra." He said, waving enthusiastically as he ignored her warning scowl and approached her table.

"Shh..." She muttered, looking back at her screen and ignoring Tom. "Just hold still, Zahra. If you don't move, maybe he'll think you're dead..." She mumbled to herself, as Tom snorted and began to laugh.

He sat down at her table, peering curiously at the stacks of books and papers strewn around her. " _Westchester's Dark History... Forbidden Magicks..._ " He read aloud from various covers, before raising a brow at her. "What is all this stuff?"

Zahra heaved a long suffering sigh, her lips twitching as she was forcibly reminded of another person who'd been similarly unafraid of her. As she rolled her eyes, she spun her laptop around for Tom to see. "This, is everything the library has on Westchester's spooky history." She said, glancing around the piles briefly before shrugging her shoulder lightly. "Plus... a bunch of stuff I found in Ximaedra's house."

"You went back there and took her stuff?!" Tom cried, glancing around guiltily when Zahra scowled at him. He swallowed, carefully lowering his voice to an urgent whisper as he leaned closer. "I thought the cops locked that place down!"

"Pfft, yeah, and who's the sheriff's daughter?" Zahra scoffed, rolling her eyes at his look of awe, though it filled her with a small sense of pride. "Look, don't make this a... _thing._ Someone has to continue her work, and no dumbass cop was gonna keep me from doing just that." She said, lowering her eyes to try and hide the stab of grief which struck her heart. "The Power is still out there, and it's only a matter of time before it starts causing trouble again." She said, swallowing thickly as she felt her eyes begin to sting threateningly. "Someone needs to be ready when it does. Someone has to protect our world, from the forces of the unknown."

"The Power..?" Tom asked, frowning briefly, until his expression cleared in sudden understanding. "You mean... Tay-"

"That _thing_ is _not_ Taylor!" Zahra snarled abruptly, scowling over at Tom as he flinched guiltily. "It will _never,_ be _Taylor..."_ She muttered, before gritting her teeth together and locking her jaw against the pain in her heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean..." Tom said awkwardly, clearing his throat as he looked around the piles of information for a moment of tense silence. "So, uh, can I help?" He asked suddenly.

"No." Zahra replied, spinning her laptop back around so she could continue typing, determined to ignore the twinge in her gut which begged her to believe that some part of Taylor remained.

"Aw, why not?" Tom groaned, pouting at Zahra and batting his eyelashes at her pleadingly as she rolled her eyes.

"You're too..." She said, scowling as she paused to search for the right words. _"Happy."_ She settled upon, as she sneered at him imperiously.

Tom ignored Zahra, leaning forward to squint at a small leather bound journal, sitting open in front of her. _"The rites of becoming._.." He read aloud, his eyes widening as he turned back to her in surprise. "What's that mean? Becoming what?"

"Uh..." Zahra paused guiltily, closing the book quickly. "Who knows. Witchy stuff." She said dismissively, glancing at Tom briefly, before focusing back on her screen.

Tom eyed her suspiciously, humming thoughtfully before he returned to scanning through her notes. "How far back do all these stories go?" He asked curiously, ignoring Zahra's sigh of frustration and patiently waiting for her reply.

"Further than we have records of." She finally admitted, glancing over at Tom with a frown, as he looked through things with genuine interest. "There were local legends about a 'forest spirit' long before Ximaedra and her group got here, which was a couple hundred years before Rourke and Estela's crazy ass mom joined them..." She explained, gesturing to several references. "Some of these stories are total crap, though. Plenty of idiots will swear that the Sasquatch lives in these woods." She added, rolling her eyes as she flicked her Mohawk over her shoulder in irritation.

"Wait..." Tom sniggered, looking over at her with a wide grin. "You're telling me, all _this_ stuff is real, but Sasquatch _isn't?"_

"That's..." Zahra scoffed, shaking her head in frustration. "That's _totally_ different. Sasquatch doesn't even..." She spluttered to a stop, scowling at Tom.

"Sorry, don't mean to give you a hard time." Tom sniggered dismissively, grinning at her as he shrugged a shoulder. "This whole magic thing is still pretty weird to me." He admitted, his smile fading as he looked down at his hands thoughtfully. "I'm glad you guys told me what was going on... It's just, hard to believe when I haven't _seen_ it, you know?" He said quietly, tracing the whorls in the table with his fingertip.

"But what about that whole thing, you know, where you were a zombie?" Zahra asked, frowning over at him curiously. "Seriously. Clammy skin, glowing eyes, the whole deal."

"Yeah..." Tom said, shifting awkwardly in his chair. "I still... don't really remember any of that." Tom said regretfully, sighing as he stared down at the table. "I remember passing out in the gym, and then I remember, something sort of like... waking up? Only I was out in the woods, hugging Sean." He said, shaking his head as he finally looked back at Zahra with a small shrug. "But that was days later apparently, and you all sent me outta the woods to phone for help..." He said, as Zahra grit her teeth again. "Anyway. Everything between is just... a weird blur."

Zahra sat silently for a moment, her eyes on the corner of her laptop, as she ran her fingers over the edge of her keyboard. "Fine." She said suddenly, moving the computer aside as Tom raised a curious brow at her. "You wanna see some magic?" She asked, cocking her head and narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.

"Uh, yes?" Tom replied uncertainly, swallowing thickly as he wondered what she might be about to show him. Zahra fished in her pocket briefly, before drawing out a quarter and placing it on the table before her. She covered the coin with one hand, and started to move it in circles. 

"Presto." She said, as the circles slowly grew smaller, and smaller; until finally she lifted her hand, to reveal the quarter was gone.

 _"Whaaaat?!"_ Tom gasped, slamming his palms on the table in shock as he leaned closer in wide eyed awe. "How'd you do that?! Where'd it go?!" He demanded eagerly, his enthusiasm causing Zahra to smile despite her best efforts.

"Blah blah, true magician, blah blah, secrets." Zahra scoffed proudly, smirking as Tom shook his head and stared at the bow empty table space in awe.

"Okay, you win..." He laughed, exhaling a deep breath as he smiled at her. "Magic is real." He conceded, glancing at his watch as his laughter trailed off. His face fell slightly, and he pushed to his feet. "I better go return my books... You going to the thing tonight?"

"The memorial?" Zahra murmured, glancing at Tom as he nodded. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled heavily as she returned the gesture. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Cool." Tom said, his cheeks dusting pink as he glanced away. "It sounds like a lot of people are coming." He added, as he toyed with the toggle of his hoodie. "Well, I, uh... I hope to see you there. Maybe, you could teach me that magic trick..." He said, biting his lip shyly as he began to back away.

Zahra waited until Tom was out if aight, before picking up the quarter from her lap and setting it back on the table. "Tch..." She scoffed, tracing the small coin with her finger. "Sucker born every minute." She muttered, drawing her finger away and staring at the quarter, unblinkingly. Her eyes began to burn, her heart quickening as the rest of the world seemed to blur. "Come _on..."_ She growled beneath her breath, scowling determinedly at the coin. 

The quarter quivered, before shooting right off the table. Zahra slumped back in bed seat, drained but grinning proudly. "Awesome." 

_Diego... Man, there just aren't words for how much you mean to me. When I thought I lost you, I was beyond devastated... but I'm never gonna give up. I'm determined that you're gonna wake up, dude, and when you do... I'm gonna be right there beside you; waiting to kick your ass for scaring the shit outta me! You're like a brother to me, Diego, the most calming and reassuring person I've ever met... and despite your terrible taste in television, I wouldn't change a single thing about you._

_Honestly, dude, what the hell would we have done without each other this past decade? Nobody can make me laugh like you, and I seriously doubt I would have survived this long without you. You're a voice of reason in my otherwise, impulsive head, and... I need you man. Life just isn't the same without you, dude. I have so much to tell you already! So please, wake up soon, buddy. If only so you can start teasing me again..._

Diego entered the auditorium after school with a tired sigh, glancing around briefly, before making his way toward a freshman sitting by herself. "Hey... Izzy?" He asked, as the girl looked up at him in surprise.

"Do I know you?" She asked suspiciously, frowning on confusion when she failed to recognize him.

"I'm Diego Soto." He said, offering his hand to her. "Your peer counselor?" He added, as her eyes widened in realisation.

"Oh." She said, blushing as she gripped his hand and shook it firmly, but briefly. "Right." She muttered, as Diego took a seat several chairs away from her, while she began playing on her phone and ignored him.

"So..." Diego said awkwardly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "What'cha doing?" He asked, rolling his eyes at his own hesitancy.

"Nothing." Izzy replied, without even glancing away from her phone. "Just a stupid game." She muttered, shrugging a shoulder dismissively.

"Oh yeah?" Diego asked, a sly grin curling his lips. "Why play it if its stupid?" He asked, raising a brow when Izzy immediately scowled at the screen.

"I don't know, because everything else is _more_ stupid." She growled, glancing over at him irritably.

"That's a pretty serious accusation." Diego whistled, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "I mean, have you even tried _everything?"_

"No." Izzy snapped, rolling her eyes as she sighed in frustration. _"Ugh."_ She huffed, stuffing her phone into her pocket and crossing her arms, scowling at the floor.

"So..." Diego said, clearing his throat pointedly. "Your teacher said you've been missing from some classes lately?" He prodded, trying and failing to catch her eye. "And... there was an incident with a friend of yours..?"

Izzy was silent for a long pause, before glancing at Diego uncertainly. "I guess." She said, pursing her lips so she wouldn't say anything further.

Diego sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat back in his chair, staring at the front of the auditorium vacantly. "Izzy, we don't have to talk." He said quietly, shaking his head tiredly. "We can just sit here, if that's what you want. I'll even leave, if you want me to... I'm just here to help." He said, looking over at her wearily. "If you wanna talk, you can. If not, that's cool too, dude."

Izzy chewed her lip, and Diego had to look away, remembering all the times and reasons that Taylor had used to gnaw his own lip. "... I didn't mean to scream at Kendra. Or miss class. I just..." Izzy mumbled, squirming uncomfortably im her chair. "I haven't been sleeping great lately. Or... much at all."

Diego started, thrown back to a similar conversation he'd had so long ago. He shook his head to clear away the memory, fidgeting with discomfort as he tried to refocus on his task. "Any, uh, particular reason?" He asked, trying to push aside his unease.

Izzy squirmed in her seat, looking over at Diego sideways. "No offense, but I don't think it's really something you would be able to- oh!" She gasped suddenly, her eyes widening as she turned to face him properly. "Oh my gosh! You're _that_ guy!"

"That guy?" Diego repeated, raising a brow in curiosity despite his lingering discomfort. He frowned as Izzy flushed pink, uncertain he still wanted her to explain.

"I didn't mean... I'm sorry." She babbled, shaking her head quickly. "I've heard a bunch of rumours, is all." She said, as Diego's hand discreetly curled into a fist by his side.

"Don't worry about it." He murmured, looking away as he tried to stop his emotions from clamouring free; the grief and the guilt which he felt, over the death of his beat friend.

"Seriously?" Izzy asked, her face falling in sympathy. "I'd be so pissed if people talked about me that much..." She said, shaking her head sadly.

"It's fine." Diego said, clenching his hand tightly before forcing a smile to his face. "Seriously. I'm used to it." He huffed sarcastically, before turning towards her thoughtfully. "I'm also used to having trouble sleeping. Most nights, I'm lucky if I get six hours... But, we're not here to talk about _me."_ He said suddenly, clearing his throat quickly. "What's keeping _you_ up at night?"

Izzy rubbed her arm, frowning as she considered her words for a long pause. "There's just some... stuff going on with my parents." She finally admitted, as Diego nodded his head thoughtfully.

"That's rough." He said gently, choosing his words carefully. "Its hard to care about school stuff, when bad stuff is happening at home."

"Whatever." Izzy scoffed, scowling again as she ran her eyes over him. "It's nothing like what happened to you!" She protested, her eyes widening in realisation of what she'd said. "I mean, I don't know what _happened_ to you, but-"

"Izzy, its not a contest." Diego said tiredly, looking down at his lap as he toyed with the strap of his bag. "What happened to me and my friends is... a _long_ story." He said thickly, swallowing heavily as his eyes stung with hot tears. "Honestly..?" He sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling as he thought of some of the rumours he and the others had heard floating around the town. "In some ways, its probably not as bad as you've heard." He said, pausing as he shivered, his mind returning to the awful moment when he'd first realised Taylor hadn't survived the game with the rest of them. "... and in other ways, it's probably _worse."_ He choked, swallowing heavily as he clutched at his emotions tightly, refusing to let them control him again. After a long pause, he exhaled heavily, turning back to Izzy with a small, sad smile. "Stress, trauma, whatever... We all experience stuff differently, and we all _respond_ to it differently."

"Yeah..." Izzy agreed quietly, her face falling as she seemed to sense Diego's turbulent emotional struggle, though she chose not to comment; much to Diego's relief. She swallowed heavily, shaking her head slowly as she thought to herself for a moment. "My, um... my grandma died a couple weeks ago, and my dads not handling it great. I'm... kind of worried about him." She finally admitted, taking a deep breath as her shoulders noticeably lightened. "He's been drinking more... a _lot_ more."

"I'm listening." Diego assured quietly, when Izzy fell silent foe a long pause, fiddling absently with her hair. Finally, Izzy took a deep breath and slowly, painfully, began to talk.

_Raj... All of us have struggled over the years we weren't close, but I don't think any of us ever realised how much worse it all must have been for you. I mean, we were all friends with Kele... you were family. I'm sorry, that I was never brave enough to come and tell you that before._

_When we were younger, you were always the one who brought us together. We would fight over the stupidest things; but always, you were there with the biggest smile and the best hugs. You never let us hold grudges, always making us laugh and forget we were fighting at all! You were always so perceptive too, always knew just what we needed, sometimes even before we did!_

_I was serious about that culinary school dude, I already filled out the application for you; all you have to do is sign it and send it off. Everything else is already taken care of, wink wink and all that... Judging by the food you've been loading us up with this past week? You're gonna be the best of any other applicants, dude. I can't wait to see what cones next for you. More than any of us, you deserve to be happy at last_.

Raj swallowed heavily, sitting alone at a booth in the back of a near empty restaurant, staring through watery eyes at the familiar words of a grubby and torn letter; lost in his thoughts.

"Refresh your coffee?" A voice asked beside him, and Raj started in surprise, hastily folding up his letter and stuffing it into his inner jacket pocket.

"Uh, sure. Thanks, dudette." He mumbled, shifting his mug closer to her so she could refill it.

"Taylor." She said, as Raj looked up at her in shock and horrer, his face paling as his gut churned with guilt and grief. 

" _What did you say_?!" He choked, his eyes widening as he sat back against he booth wall, his heart practically leaping out of his chest.

The waitress refilling his mug didn't seem to notice his reaction, giggling as she flashed him a brilliant smile. "Taylor. It's my name?" She laughed, looking up at him curiously. "I just figured we ought to get to know each other, considering this is the third time I've seen you this week." She said warmly, leaning her hip against his table.

"Oh..." Raj sighed, his relief palpable as he reached for his coffee with a trembling hand. "Right. Sure... Okay, doodlejump."

 _"Aaaand..."_ She said leadingly, trying to catch Raj's eye. "This is the part where you tell me your name..?" She giggled, as Raj flushed awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah. My name is R-" he hesitated briefly, clearing his throat and trying to force a smile. "Rhys. _Ahem..._ My name is Rhys."

"It's nice to meet you, Rhys." She said warmly, smiling brightly as she slid into the booth opposite him, setting down her coffee pot on the table.

"Yeah..." Raj said awkwardly, scratching the back of his arm as he eyed the waitress warily. "Uh, same..." He coughed, as she propped her cheek in her hand.

"So..." She said, running her eyes over him curiously, as Raj's skin prickled with unease. "Where you from?" She asked.

Raj shrugged, lowering his eyes to his coffee as he curled his large hands around the mug. "I'm... from _nowhere."_ He muttered, glancing up when the waitress snorted, to catch her rolling her eyes.

"Nice. _Real_ mysterious." She giggled, grinning at him in amusement. "You practice that one in front of the mirror?" She asked sarcastically, as Raj laughed nervously.

"Yeah... I mean, no... I'm sorry." Raj finally stammered, his cheeks burning as he tried to decide how to reply. "I don't talk to many, uh..."

"Cute waitresses?" She supplied slyly, winking at him coyly as Raj spluttered and coughed, his eyes widening in surprise. "Now see, I teed you up and everything." She giggled, shaking her head in amusement as she watched him blush. "Better get back in front of the mirror and practice some more, Mister Mysterious."

"Heh. Yeah." Raj huffed in relief, looking away as he cleared his throat. "Guess so..." He said, taking a sip of his coffee to hide his shaking hands.

"So, what brings you into this dump so often?" The curious waitress asked curiously, watching as Raj fiddled with his sleeve cuff.

"I, uh, I like the food." Raj said awkwardly, glancing away as her eyes widened in both horror and surprise.

"Compared to _what?"_ She demanded, her jaw dropping in her apparent shock. "Roadkill?"

"I don't know..." Raj huffed, thinking back on some of the meals he'd had while travelling. "I've had worse." He admitted, shrugging his shoulder dismissively and smiling shyly.

"Oh, you _poor_ thing." The waitress cooed, reaching over to squeeze one of Raj's hands. Raj blushed, but shared a laugh with her, the feeling surprisingly good; like releasing a breath which he'd been holding for too long. "So, hey, can I ask you something?" She asked suddenly, pulling her hand back across the table again.

"Hasn't stopped you so far, doodlejump." Raj huffed in amusement, smiling over at her curiously. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well, I was just wondering, as often as I see you in here..." She said, biting her lip briefly as her cheeks dusted a light shade of pink. "How come you're always alone?"

"Oh." Raj said, swallowing thickly as his grip on his coffee tightened, his heart constricting painfully as the breath caught in his throat, his thoughts swirling into a fierce scream; _because I killed my friend, and betrayed the others._  

The bell above the door jingled, announcing the arrival of new customers and providing Raj with a moment to recover. "Be right with you!" The waitress called, sighing and rolling her eyes as she pushed up from the table. "Well Rhys, it was nice talking to you. Lets do it again sometime!" She said, smiling at him brightly.

Raj nodded, but his eyes were locked onto the two new customers; and their badges. _Crap... Time to bustle_. He thought worriedly. As the waitress made her way toward the front of the restaurant, Raj quickly dropped a hefty fifty dollar tip on the table and quietly got up from the booth, heading for the back door. _Sorry Taylor, I know it's not what you wanted me to use this money for, but she's nice... and I think you'd have done the same, dude_. He thought, as he pushed through the door and hurried around the corner to the nearby bus stop. He hopped on before the waiting bus could leave, buying a ticket without knowing his destination and settling himself in a seat near the back, leaning his head against the window as he sighed wearily. _Another one bites the dust_... He thought, as the bus pulled away. He watched as yet another town fell away behind him, an all too familiar feeling roiling in his gut; **guilt.**

_Jake... I- well, I can honestly say that my life has changed for the better, since you pulled up beside me and got my blood pumping, in every sense of the word. I mean it, that day alone changed everything... but meeting you again, was the best thing about it. I can honestly say I would gone through another ten years of total solitude, if it had meant you would come into my life._

_Uh... I, don't actually know what to label this as. We haven't exactly had the whole, relationship discussion... But, suffice to say that, being an 'us' just lately has been pretty damn awesome. I know we've only had a few weeks together, and by far; this week has been my favourite, even if you have evaded all my wily attempts to, uh, tempt you. Anyway, my point, before I got distracted by imagining how goddamn gorgeous you must be without your clothes on; and how sexy we would both look without them... Ahem... Uh, oh yeah, my point was; despite the short time frame, you've given me a lifetime worth of love and affection, and no matter what happens in the future, I will cherish that endlessly._

_The strength and confidence you've taught me, is what made me finally decide to confide in my friends about my parents, and I can never thank you enough for that... though if you stop refusing me, I will certainly make a darn good effort to!_

_Jake, I... Maybe I'm being a coward, to do it this way, but I hope you'll forgive me for it. The thing is, I... I don't want to go back to the life I had, without you in it. When we fell out, it was awful. I missed you more than I thought I could miss another person in my life, and believe me; I am used to missing people by this point! But you... Well, I'd really like to not lose you again. So I was kind of wondering if maybe, you might wanna... marry me?_

Jake swallowed heavily as he sat in his car, his elbow resting against the window as he read the familiar letter over again. His heart ached, his gut churning with grief and loss, his eyes stinging with tears as he worried a nail.

"Jake..?" Rebecca called softly, tapping on his window and startling him so much that he dropped the letter. He quickly scrabbled to collect the pages, folding them carefully and tucking them back into the envelope, before locking the whole thing away in his glove box.

"Yeah, sorry." He said thickly, opening his door and stepping out of his car, as night fell and the town began to gather in front of the library, ready for the memorial. "Whoa... big turnout." He said, running a hand through his hair distractedly.

"Jake, are ya _sure-"_ Rebecca began worriedly, before their mother caught sight of him and beckoned him over. He cleared his throat and deftly avoided answering his sister, trotting up the steps and rolling his eyes when his mother pulled him into a tight hug.

"There ya are!" She said, smiling at him warmly. "Thankyou for agreeing to speak tonight, Jacob. It sounds like none of Taylors other friends felt up to it." She said snidely, as Jake rolled his eyes again.

"Good to know I was ya last choice." Jake snarked, earning himself a swat round the ear from his mother.

"I hope its not too hard on ya..." She said after a brief pause, eyeing him as if realising for the first time how he might be struggling. "I just thought it would be best if the words came from someone who knew them well." She said, chaffing his arm briefly, before snapping her fingers suddenly. "Oh, before I forget! I was cleanin' out the attic last night, and I found this..." She said, producing a DVD case labelled 'Rebecca and friends in Taylors yard'.

"Hang on..." Jake said, frowning as he reached over and carefully plucked the DVD case from his mother. "Is this one of the old home videos I shot?"

"Yes." His mother said, smiling fondly. "I believe this was taken shortly after they all met in elementary school." She said thoughtfully, as Jake's heart fluttered weakly, his hands tightening on the DVD case as he recalled shooting the video for his sister. "In any case," his mother continued, heedless of his conflicting emotions. "Seein' 'em all so happy together made me smile on this sad, sad day. I was wonderin' if ya'd be alright with playin' this video at the end of the memorial? Goodness knows, we could use more smiles..."

"I..." Jake hesitated, his fingers brushing over the case gently, considering his words and the emotional reaction he might have to endure carefully. "I guess ya should show it... But ya should really check with Becca and her little rat pack." He said thickly, quickly handing thecase back to his mother, as if it had burnt him.

"Great!" His mother said enthusiastically, smiling as she ignored her sons recommendation. "I'll have them play it when ya done speakin'." She said, handing the dvd off to an assistant, before turning to lead the way toward a podium, set up on the stairs outside the library.

Jake swallowed thickly, desperately trying to suppress the urge to turn tail and flee. He sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to follow after his mother, one painstaking step at a time. As he fell into place behind his mother, a hush fell over the crowd, and she began to speak into the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone." She said calmly, smiling out at the crowd with the practiced ease of many a mayoral campaign. "It warms my heart, to see you all gathered here today. As you know... today marks one year, since wild animals attacked Westchester Hugh, injuring dozens and killing Ximaedra Vaanti." 

In the crowd, Jake caught sight of the somber faces of the Westchester High teaching staff. From the principal, to Mrs. Montoya, each and everyone lowered their heads sadly; showing respect for those they'd lost. "Later that same night, another life was lost, in a tragic cave collapse." As he stood beside the podium, Jake felt his skin bristle, his blood pounding in his ears as he grit his teeth and clenched his hands so tightly that his nails bit into his palms.

 _Wild animal attack_? He thought, unaware of the irritated growl which rumbled from his chest. _Tragic cave collapse_? He thought furiously, his heart clenching at the thought of Taylors sacrifice being reduced to such a pathetic lie. He searched the crowd, finally locking eyes with his sister, who bit her lip nervously as her eyes darted between him and their mother. Jakes clear eyes blazed with fury, and he felt his temper flare as he grit his teeth together firmly. "Ya all _goddamn_ cowards..." Jake groused, trembling with the effort to contain his fury. 

"Those weren't _animals,_ and that cave didn't just _collapse!"_ He growled, his voice rising as his heart stung with grief. "They were killed by goddamn monsters, and every one of ya damn hypocrite's knows it! Ya saw 'em with ya own _goddamn_ eyes!" He cried, choking as Rebecca and her friends pushed to the front of the crowd, gazing at him with varying expressions of support. "Those very _monsters,_ are still out there, and the _only_ thing stoppin' 'em from comin' back, is-" he choked, breaking off abruptly with a harsh sob, unable to voice the thoughts aloud. _The only thing stoppin' 'em is Taylor, at the cost of his own idiot life..._

Low murmurs began to rise from the gathered crowd, as Rebecca and her friends cheered Jake loudly, applauding him for speaking up. Jake felt his throat constrict, knowing Taylor would've swatted him and rolled his eyes for the way he lost his temper, but he took a deep breath and forced his heartache down to his gut; focusing back on his mother as she nervously cleared her throat beside him. "I... that is..." She said awkwardly, throwing him a frustrated look before looking back at the crowd sadly. "There are theories that these attacks were instigated by... persons unknown. I assure ya however, we are in investigatin' all... possibilities." She said, as Jake scoffed and looked away with a petulant scowl, biting his tongue against any further outbursts. "Raj Bhandarker, a person of interest in this case, remains unaccounted for. If ya know _anythin'_ of his whereabouts; please inform the police, or contact my office immediately." She said, allowing a moment for her words to filter through the crowd. 

Jake glanced over at Rebecca and her friends, the entire group holding hands and seething at the mention of their traitorous, former friend. "Now, I'd like to call up my son, Jacob, to say a few words about those who lost their lives in the tragedy of last year." She finally called, stepping aside and gesturing for Jake to take her place.

Jake swallowed thickly, struggling with his emotions for a moment as they clamoured for him to turn and flee. He exhaled a deep breath sharply, and slowly stepped up to the podium, as workers set up a projector and a large screen behind him. "Hey there, everyone. I..." He paused, his voice catching as fresh tears began to form in his eyes. Desperately, he looked out into the crowd, searching the faces which smiled back at him encouragingly. He sucked in a deep breath, and forced himself to continue. "I wasn't close to everyone that we lost last year, but I hope I can still do 'em justice." He said, picking up a small remote and turning on the projector.

"Ximaedra... I didn't really know the woman, to be honest... but I know she helped my sister and her friends through a tough spot." He said, gesturing to Rebecca and her friends at the front of the crowd. "Ximaedra is someone, who deserved our respect." He decided, glancing at the large picture of the old woman, her withered body, ruined face and blue skin all giving her a highly ominous façade. "She weren't the easiest person to talk to. Hell, seemed mostly like she went outta her way to drive people off. But when somethin' did need doin', she didn't hesitate. She put herself in harms way, to protect this town. I think the world nerds more people like that." He said his heart hammering violently in his chest as he clicked the remote at the projector.

He turned slowly as a huge photo of Taylor appeared on the screen behind him, drinking in the cocky smile and obvious joy in his lovers face, as he reclined on the sofa at his house; the picture a recent one, taken during the week they'd spent together before homecoming. Jakes throat turned dry, his eyes stinging as he remembered Taylor; thinking back over their too short tine together.

_"I'd sure like to know you better!"_

_"Sounds like someone figured out how we know each other... Gonna let me in on the secret?"_

_"I just... feel so powerless sometimes. A lot of the time, actually."_

_"Want me to kiss it and make it better?"_

_"Just do it, ya scaredy pilot. I promise, you're gonna believe everything I've told you in, oh... about ten seconds."_

_"Jake... I had to protect you. Redield isn't just sone wild animal. He's been going after people who get close to us. Enemies and friends. I thought the more you got involved. The less safe you'd be... I already got someone killed once. I can't put you at risk..."_

_"You're such an idiot, Top Gun."_

_"It just... felt right. And for some reason, that's all I could focus on..."_

_"Jake..."_

_"That settles it. Jake, get in the back. Aleister, you drive. We're going to the hospital. Now._ "

Jake stared at the photo of Taylor for an immeasurable, silent moment, thoughts swirling in his head. "Taylor... what the _hell_ do I even _say?"_ He wondered aloud, his quiet voice thick with emotion, barely catching the microphone to carry to the crowd. He drew in a deep breath, gazing uo at the photo as his eyes turned distant, his expression thoughtful. "I remember... when we were all kids." He said hesitantly, cocking his head as the words came to him slowly. "I remember ya, playin' tag with my sister in our house, or burnin' popcorn on the stove." He said, glancing over at Rebecca and her friends with a small shadow of a grin.

"... Then that thing with Kele Bhandarker happened and, it was like ya dropped off the face of the earth." He continued, frowning as he turned to the crowd, his temper flaring anew. _"Some_ people, thought it was ya fault. Made ya _believe_ that... even actively set out to blame and persecute ya. Ya own parents even _abandoned_ ya, leavin' ya alone to fend for yaself-" Jake cut himself off, as Rebecca stepped forward, clearing her throat pointedly. He glanced around, noticing several people with hands to their mouths in horror, others with eyes heavily clouded by guilt. He forced himself to push down his frustration, swallowing his fury as he gripped the edge of the podium tightly.

"Then, ten years later..." He said slowly, his voice thick as he recalled the morning he'd returned to town. "I see ya. Walking down the side of the road. And..." He choked, desperately seeking out his sisters reassuring gaze, as she slowly walked up the steps and laid her hand over his. "I _swear_ my heart stopped." He exhaled heavily, turning to bump his forehead to Rebecca's gratefully for a brief moment, absorbing the support and strength she offered him. "Even before I figured out who ya were, I was _stunned._ I ain't gonna say it was love at first sight... but it was _somethin'._ I..." He paused as his breath caught in his throat, lowering his gaze to his fists, clenched tightly around the edge of the podium. "I don't think I ever told ya that." He whispered brokenly, looking at his sister in mounting distress.

"He knew, Jake." Rebecca whispered fiercely, gripping his hand tightly as she wrapped her other arm around his shoulders. "He knew, believe me... and he felt just the same." She lowered her voice further, her lips vrushing against his ear as she leaned her forehead to his temple. "Almost there, Jake... just a little more." She promised, as Jake swallowed heavily and sucked in a shaky breath.

"I just..." He began again, gazing out into the crowd as his face crumpled with grief and despair. "I can't stop thinkin' about what I could've done differently that night." He gasped, shaking his head as he desperately tried to imagine the scenario where he'd been able to do something. "Some nights I wonder; what if I'd gone with ya? What if I'd just, duct taped myself back together, and jumped in the car? If I had done that... would ya still be alive right now, here, with me?" He muttered, clenching his teeth as he blinked away more tears. "Maybe not. Maybe I'd be dead too... But at least I'd be _with_ ya."

Rebecca murmured in his ear quickly, trying to reassure and comfort him, but with a frantic need; Jake pressed on. "Other nights, I wonder if I could've made ya stay." He said thickly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the podium so tightly that it hurt. "What if I'd kept my car keys, or called the cops? Could they have kept ya all outta those damn woods? If I'd done that, would I have had a chance to answer ya..? To tell ya... yes?" He asked, turning to his sister with a desperate look in his eyes. Her grey eyes met his blue with sympathy and compassion, and slowly, the rising hysteria vegan to fade from Jake's mind; replaced with the familiar loss and despondency he often felt. "I guess... I'll never know." He choked, swallowing down his grief as he faced the crowd again.

He watched as down below them, people began turning to each other, whispering and casting confused glances in Jake's direction. "That's, uh..." He choked, shaking his head as he straightened and took Rebecca's hand in his own. "That's all I had to say. Thanks." He muttered, stepping away from the mic and allowing his sister to lead him down the library steps to the rest of the group, who enfolded him with comforting embraces.

Jake sighed heavily, looking at the dark sky for a moment as his mother retook the podium. She signalled to one of her assistants, who loaded a DVD into the player. "And now... we have a special treat, which I hope will bring smiles to the many sad faces among us tonight. This video, was taken about ten years ago..." She said, as she turned and pressed play on the remote.

Instantly, an image of Taylors house appeared on the screen, and Jake's breath caught at the eight small bodies charging around the yard with loud cries of glee. "Uh... is it on yet?" A miniature Rebecca asked, squinting into the screen uncertainly. 

"I think so." Jake's disembodied voice replied, the camera angle shaking slightly as he adjusted his grip on the camera. "The little red light is blinkin'." He said, as shouts began to ring out from the other end of the yard.

"Holy smokes, dude!" Raj gasped, his eyes wide in surprise. Jake noticed he wasn't the only one tensed at the large boys appearance, but despite how much he wanted to; he couldn't find it in his heart to hate the younger version of the boy who'd betrayed his friends, instead seeing only a small group who were utterly at ease with each other.

 _"Fascinating!"_ Aleister called, as Jake turned the camera to the others, capturing the pale boy as he hurried closer to Diego.

"Kele! Come look at this frog!" Taylor called cheerfully, a huge grin on his face, exposing his missing front tooth. Jake stared at the screen, swallowing heavily as he drank in the sight of the carefree, younger version of his lover.

"I don't wanna...." Kele said, shivering as he moved away, the smaller boys face contorted with disgust. "Frogs are _gross!"_

"But its _huuuuuuuuuge!"_ Diego cheered, his eyes wide and a huge grin across his face as he held the frog up like a trophy, having to use both hands to lift it.

 _"Whoa!"_ Jake called, zooming the camera in to focus on Diego, as he danced and waved the fat amphibian in the air joyfully.

 _"Looooook!"_ Diego chanted, as the others crowded around him and laughed. "It's a monster frog!" He declared, as Taylor strolled over with a grin.

"Hey now, it might secretly be a handsome prince, trapped by an evil spell!" He said, reaching over to stroke the frogs head as he cooed softly at it.

"Oh yeah?" Diego laughed, grinning slyly as he thrust the fat frog towards Taylor suddenly. "Why don't you... _kiss_ it, and find out then?!"

 _"Ewww!_ No way, dude! That thing is _ugly!"_ Taylor squealed joyfully, darting away from his friend as Diego began to chase him, waving the frog at him gleefully. _"Ahhh,_ Diego's got the ugly prince frog!"

"It's a toad, actually." Aleister drawled, watching them charge around him with a faint sneer, though he was clearly amused by their antics. _"Bufo boreas."_

 _"Pfft,_ nerd." Zahra scoffed, sniggering as she poked at some nearby frogspawn with keen interest.

 _"Hahahaha!_ Bufo's a funny name!" Taylor cheered, dancing backwards across his yard, always just out of Diego's reach.

"Careful..." Quinn warned, leaning against the tree and smiling as she watched them tear across the lawn again. "My dad says some toads are poisonous!"

 _"Jaaaaake!"_ Rebecca fumed, storming into view and standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at her brother reproachfully. "Are ya even payin' attention? Ya _said_ ya would help!" She complained, stomping her foot on the ground in frustration.

"Yeah," Jake snorted, refocusing the camera on his sister. "And _you_ said ya wouldn't be a brat about it." He said, sniggering at her when she stuck her tongue out at him in response.

 _"Urgh!_ Fine!" Rebecca fumed, stomping away to a clear patch of lawn. "I'll just practice instead." She complained petulantly, raising her hands, before cartwheeling across the yard.

"Wow!" Quinn gasped, pushing herself up from her seat by the tree and hurrying over. "Can you teach me how to do that?!" 

"Me too, dudette!" Raj pleaded, bounding over to join them on the lawn eagerly.

"I wanna learn!" Zahra called, dropping her frogspawn covered stick, and racing over to bounce on the balls of her feet excitedly.

Rebecca looked around her friends shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear uncertainly. "Mom said I should leave coaching to the professionals..." She said reluctantly, glancing away as her cheeks stained pink.

"Why on earth is that?" Aleister asked, raising his brows in surprise as he removed his sweater and folded it neatly, before joining the others to learn.

"'Cause the last time I tried to teach someone a trick..." Rebecca began awkwardly, shifting her weight guiltily as she peeked around her friends. "They, uh, broke a window..."

"Aww, c'mon..." Sean joined in, throwing his arms around Quinn and Diego's shoulders. "Please?"

Rebecca glanced at the camera doubtfully, biting her lip as she debated. "Don't worry, Becca..." Jake snorted from behind the camera, his smirk practically audible in his cocky tone. "There ain't no windows out here." He sniggered, as Rebecca glanced over at an old shed dubiously. "Look, just... stay on the grass, it's fine." He huffed.

Rebecca broke out in a bright grin, bouncing on her feet excitedly. "Okay!" She cheered. Jake followed the other kids approaching his sister, until he noticed one breaking away. He instead followed Taylor, as he wandered across the lawn to sit beside Kele at the edge of the pond.

"You don't wanna do cartwheels?" He asked, nudging Kele gently with his elbow, causing the smaller boy to jump slightly in surprise.

"No..." Kele said, glancing behind them to where the others were tumbling across the lawn amid gales of laughter. "They look scary." He said quietly, as Jake zoomed the camera in on them. "You should go do them though..."

"Nah. _You're_ my best friend." Taylor said, flashing the gap in his teeth qa he grinned at Kele widely. "I wanna hang out with _you!"_

"I'm..." Kele stammered, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked up at Taylor. " _I'm_ your best friend? _Really?"_

"Tch, of course!" Taylor scoffed, jostling him again as he dangled his legs intot he pond, heedless of his shoes, socks and trousers getting wet.

"B-but..." Kele looked down, dubiously kicking his toes across the top of the water. "But I'm not good at stuff like Becca, or... or brave like Sean and Zahra." He said confusedly.

Taylor gently swung his arm around Kele's shoulders, pulling him closer to his side. "You lived pretty near a war zone, 'cause of your dads placement dude... It's understandable if things might seem a bit scarier for you." He said, smiling softly at the smaller boy. "But you don't have to worry about being brave all the time now, 'cause you've got me to watch out for you!" He drew back slightly, raising a playful brow at Kele. "But you gotta promise to watch out for me too, okay? Best friends gotta protect each other."

Kele stared at Taylor for a long moment, before breaking out in a small smile, his cheeks dimpling and staining with a blush. "Okay." He promised, holding out his pinky finger and cooking it around Taylors. "Best friends!" He cheered proudly.

Taylor laughed joyfully, grinning as he nodded excitedly. "Best friends..." He agreed, before the video began to fade to black, his smile the last thing to vanish from the screen.

Jake drew in a sharp breath, exhaling deeply as he furiously scrubbed at his eyes, shaking his head at his own sentimentality. "That was..." Diego choked, making no attempt to hide his own streaming eyes.

"Shortly before we met Mr. Red..." Sean finished, his hand resting comfortingly on Diego's shoulder, as they shook with grief.

Jake swallowed thickly, watching from the centre of the group as his mother made a few closing remarks. Shortly after that, people began to drift away into the night. Long after the crowd had fully dispersed, he found himself sitting on the library steps with the others, each lost in their own thoughts after the stirring video. "I still can't believe it's already been a year..." He finally said, his voice crackling from the attempt to contain himself. He looked around the town, barely any different for the time which had passed. "Seems like not a lot has changed since last fall."

"Not true." Tom said lightly, looking around them all with a small smile. _"We've_ changed." He said, as Sean chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"That we have, man... But I get what Jake means." He said, sighing as he looked around the group thoughtfully. "Feels like it all happened yesterday."

"Yeah..." Quinn agreed, though she cocked her head and frowned slightly. "And yet, I feel like my life is totally different now."

"Well, I mean..." Rebecca huffed, nudging her friend playfully. "We ain't currently bein' stalked by any homicidal shadow monsters... so _that's_ nice."

"Yeah, seriously." Tom agreed eagerly, as the group shared a small chuckle. "You see Estela earlier? I talked to her a little, sounds like she's been doing better."

"Yes, her physical therapy is helping to heal the scarred muscles, and her limp is much less pronounced than it was even a week ago." Aleister said coolly, his cheeks dusting pink as he avoided his friends curious gazes. "We have... _spoken,_ on several occasions." He said stiffly, before finally falling silent on the subject.

"... That's good." Jake sighed, tipping his head back to stare up at the dark sky. A short silence fell, as his eyes drifted between the constellations as he thought back over the past year and everything which it had been missing.

"I'm really glad we're all here..." Rebecca murmured, curling into Jake's side and tucking her head beneath his chin.

"Even if not _all_ of us are." He replied sourly, wincing as soon as the words escaped him. Diego laud his hand on Jake's shoulder, squeezing it quickly.

"I miss him too..." He said, his voice trembling with the threat of more tears. "I wish I never tried to fix-"

"Can we... stay in touch?" Tom asked, cutting Diego off before he could bring up the collective guilt which they all felt. "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I need this every once in a while. Just, talking about what happened."

"I hear ya." Jake sighed, swallowing back the tide of longing he felt, to see Taylor even just once more. To say all the things left unsaid between them. To answer him. 

"I say we make a promise, to always have each others backs." Sean proposed, looking around them all curiously, while Jake continued to gaze up at the stars. "No matter what."

Tom grinned, elbowing Sean playfully. "Oh yeah, you're gonna have a hell of a time getting rid of me." He sniggered, finally leaning his side to his friends, as they smiled around the rest of the group.

"No matter what." Quinn agreed firmly, wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her hand and smiling at them all warmly.

Jake sighed, leaning back against the steps as thoughts of Taylor swirled endlessly through his mind, the sting only worsening as the night progressed. "Do ya ever wonder..." He began slowly, having to pause and swallow to clear his tightening throat. "Do ya think Taylors still out there?"

Rebecca turned to him sharply, sensing more to his words than mere curiosity. _"Jake,_ whaddaya thinkin-"

"I guess its possible... I mean, the other, guy Kele-" Tom began, breaking off to bite his lip as a collective shiver passed through the group. "Well... freaky powers and all, right?"

"Ain't any of ya curious to go find out?" Jake pressed, grief clenching his heart tightly as he thought of Taylor; trapped and alone endlessly, like his friend before him, slowly going mad with lonliness and becoming twisted, and vengeful.

"We can't." Diego choked, shaking his head in distress. "Kele became the monster in the first game... Taylor became the monster in the second game. If any of us went back again, it'd just start the whole process over again. Even..." He paused, lowering his head as he sucked in a deep breath. "Even if we wanted to try and... see him. We can't risk it." He said brokenly, burying his head beneath his arms and losing himself to his grief.

"That thing is _not_ Taylor." Zahra insisted firmly, her fists clenched tightly as she scowled at the floor beside them, refusing to let anyone see the grief in her gaze. "Taylor... he's just... it's not _Taylor_ anymore."

"I guess not..." Jake said quietly, drawing in a shaky breath as his eyes stung and filled with tears, blurring his view of the stars. "Who knows what that kinda power does to ya." Jake swallowed heavily, taking a final deep breath before sitting up abruptly and pushing to his feet. "I don't know about any of y'all, but I need a _goddamn_ drink." He sighed, as Diego shot to his feet beside him.

"I am _so_ there, dude." He said, his relief palpable as the group began to rise around them.

"Okay, meet ya at the house?" Jake said, tossing his cars keys in his palm briefly. "I'm gonna stop by the off licence. Replenish supplies, and all that." He coughed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yeah, man, cool." Sean said, walking with Tom and Diego towards Aleister's car. Rebecca eyed Jake worriedly for a moment, but was soon dragged away by Quinn and the others.

Jake rolled his eyes, moving over to his car and quickly settling behind the driving wheel. He shoved the key roughly into the ignition, but paused before starting the car, reaching instead for the letter he had tucked away in his glove box. "Godammit, Taylor..." He whispered thickly as he shook his head, before tossing the letter on the passenger seat, starting the car; and driving into the night.

_So, what does all my blathering... and thankyou Aleister, for teaching me that word! Bet you thought I'd never actually use it huh?!  ...ultimately lead up to? Well, first off it means that I've set aside a little something for each of you. Don't go getting excited, its nothing fancy; just money really, if I'm honest. Consider it my generous bribe to encourage you all to forget what a pain in the ass I can be!_

_There's also something else... My house has been pretty empty, save my recent animal adoptions, but this past week where you've all been here for me? It's really made it feel like a home again... I've put in a request for planning permission, so if you want, you're welcome to design a room. Even if you don't, you should know you'll always be welcome; but I just wanted you to know that the option will always be there... that you'll always have a place to call home. I promise, this time; I'll always be here for you guys. Because I love you, and that's what family do._

_-Taylor xXx_  

He drifted aimlessly through the forest, unaware of the passage of time. Barely more than a shadow, he passed straight through solid branches, following whims which he didn't fully understand. He found himself floating before the entrance to the ruins, a memory slowly bubbling to the surface in his slow and hazy mind.

"... _no friends... no play_..."

 _"Friends..."_ He croaked slowly, turning and flowing out of the clearing, another memory drawing him forward. _"Here..."_ He murmured, as he entered another clearing, with a large stump in ibts centre; his voice a whisper like breeze. He fought the slow haze in his mind, trying desperately to recall the memory. _"Here... we... found_..." He murmured, glancing around curiously as the clearing rippled around him.

_"I'm fine, dudes... It's him I'm worried about."_

_"He's breathing! But... shit, he looks terrible. Diego? Diego, buddy... Assbutt! You gotta wake up, okay?_!"

 _"Hmmm..."_ He rasped, the memories fading just as quickly as they arose. Agitated, he slithered back to the ruins, trailing darkness in his wake like smoke. On the hallway, he paused, bending down to examine the words carved into the stone floor. _"Red... field..."_ He murmured, reaching out with shadowy fingers. As soon as he touched the name, another memory boiled up from the depths.

" _Redfield... Rourke... Whatever or whoever it was back then; they're not here anymore. They haven't been here, for ten years, dude..."_

 _"Not... here?"_ He choked, his lamp like eyes widening in surprise and confusoong, before simmering back down to a pale glow. _"Redfield... not here_!" He dove down the stairs, surging into the cavern below. There, he flit from boulder to boulder, searching urgently.

 _"Not here... not here_..." He muttered thickly as he searched, slowly growing frustrated. Soon, he was flinging boulders across the cavern, shattering stalactites in his fury. " _Not! Here! Not! Here! Where_ -" he roared, flames flickering from his shadowy form, before receding suddenly.

He looked down at a small object on the ground, half hidden beneath a boulder. Gently, he picked up the old whistle, dangling it in front of his shadowy face. "... _Kele..."_ He whispered, as his memories bubbled and surged from his hazy mind.

_"Poor Mr. Red..." Kele said, holding out his hand, as he reached back to take it..._

Only to find himself alone, in the dark cavern. _"Not Mr. Red_..." He rasped, running his finger along the whistle slowly, as a small figure padded out from the shadows. _"Taylor."_ He whispered, slowly turning to gaze at the bony creature moving towards him. "... _Tetra... good boy._.." He whispered, holding out his hand to run his shadowy fingers along the creatures head affectionately.

His memories flitted dangerously, threatening to disappear again, and he whimpered fearfully, desperately wishing not to forget. He slowly turned his face back to the whistle, and after a long pause, raised it over his shadowy head and allowed it to settle around his neck. _"Taylor..."_ He whispered, a strange thump in his chest seeming to radiate relief. _"Taylor."_ He repeated, his shadowy fingers tracing the whistle, seeming to anchor his thoughts and memories to his shadowy form. _"Heart... hurt..."_ He whispered, shaking his head slowly.

He whirled suddenly, at the sound of hesitant footsteps echoing through the cavern, panic surging in his pulsing shadows; terrified of people, of hurting, of losing himself again. He floated backwards, Tetra growling quietly at his side, as the tentative footsteps slowly sank lower into the cavern, until finally; a person came into view.

"Oh, holy _shit..."_ Choked a voice, and Taylor cocked his head, confused, scared and uncertain of what to do. He hovered beside Tetra, ready to flee at the first sharp movement, but despite his instincts; a feeling gnawed at the back of his mind. "That's... _You're..._ Oh god..." The figure approached slowly, their palms raised in placation as they stepped and paused, stepped and paused; ever shuffling closer. _"Taylor..?"_ They called uncertainly.

Tetra barked quietly, trotting forward to sniff at the figures leg, making them jump and curse in surprise. "Ah, _nice_ doggy..." They muttered, before looking back at Taylor and taking another small step forward. "Taylor..? Is... Is there any-" they choked, shaking their head as Taylor tried to curl himself as small as he could.

When Taylor heard a small sniff, he cocked his head curiously, uncurling himself as he tentatively drifted closer. "Oh _god..."_ The newcomer whispered, as Taylor slowly floated closer, until he hovered at face level just before them.

"... _Jaaaaake..."_ He rasped, flinching back when the pilot choked and hesitantly reached for him. " _Shouldn't... come_..." He murmured, his words whispering like a soft breeze. 

"I had to... know." Jake said thickly, his eyes wide as he ran them over Taylor in obvious distress. "Had to see for myself." He choked, swallowing heavily as he stepped closer.

 _"Don't touch..."_ Taylor whispered urgently, shying away from the pilot. He held up one shadowy hand, his long fingers almost like claws. "... _Remember..?"_ He rasped, pointing to his wrist.

"The burn?" Jake asked curiously, frowning as Taylor nodded slowly. He sighed, looking down briefly as he collected himself, before looking up determinedly. "Okay, Boy Scout... Alright, I _know_ ya in there now. I _know_ ya don't wanna hurt anyone." He said firmly, absently scratching Tetra's bony ears. "I... I got an offer for ya, Taylor." He said, his clear eyes raking over Taylors shadowy form brokenly. 

"... _Offer..?"_ Taylor repeated, floating backwards slightly in concern, only for Jake to quickly raise his palms again and make soothing sounds.

"Hey, nah, nothin' like that... I wouldn't ask that of ya." Jake said, swallowing thickly as he cautiously stepped closer. "Besides, that wouldn't help, 'cause then... well, then I couldn't stay with ya, Boy Scout." He said calmingly, taking another tentative step closer. "Don't ya want that?" He asked, his clear eyes never leaving the lamp like pinpricks amid Taylors shadow riddled face. _"You_ and me, Boy Scout... We'll go somewhere far away, we'll stay hidden. Stay safe... Stay together. Ya can do that, right?" 

Taylor looked down at his shadowy hands, trying to process the pilots words, to understand his pleas. " _Go..? Together._.?" He asked, a quivering whisper on the breeze. "... _Forever..?"_ He rasped, slowly raising his eyes to Jake, as the pilot finally lowered his hands.

"Yeah..." He said, his breath catching as he stared at Taylor longingly. "Yeah, Boy Scout. Forever." He agreed, swallowing heavily as Tetra trotted up beside him and butted his head into his leg.

 _"Not... the same_..." Taylor whispered, drifting backwards slightly as he reached for his head and curled his long fingers around himself. " _Taylor... bad_..."

"Nah... Taylor-" Jake paused, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath, hesitating briefly before pushing on again. "I don't think ya _can_ be, Taylor... I think, if ya let me stay with ya, if we find somewhere nobody will disturb ya again... I think ya gonna be just fine." He said, swallowing thickly as he bit his lip, before reaching out to Taylor. "So," he pressed, a tiny grin hitching the corners of his lips upward hopefully. "Whaddaya say, Boy Scout?"


	21. What Remains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo
> 
> La ending.
> 
> I hope this isnt a let down, its supposed to be more of an open/lead in to the sequel, if i ever write it... if youd be inteeested let me know :)
> 
> Thankyou everyone for reading and commenting - im sure it gets boring to keep hearing it but; every comment you guys have left me has been sooo inspiring. Youre the best and i love you guts so much. I wouldnt have the heart to keep going without you all.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this small entreè
> 
> x My love to you all x

**21.**

**What Remains**. 

The embers of the fire flickered weakly, their glow dulled by the rising sun across the water. Silence, as thick as treacle, smothered the air; oppressive and thick enough that the tense atmosphere could be cut with a knife.

It was with a shuddering sigh, that Taylor came back to himself, blinking rapidly as his breath caught in his throat. He shook his head lightly, one hand rising to his temple as he rubbed his brow, as if trying to erase a headache.

"What the-" Craig choked from across the burnt out campfire, the jock looking around in confusion as he blinked away the strange stupor of Mike's story. "Brah, did you talk _all night?"_

"Can't say I'm surprised." Jake huffed, his voice thick from disuse as his arms curled tighter around Taylor, pulling him closer to the pilots chest. "Dumb bastard always did love the sound of his own voice." He snarked, jostling Mike with his boot and scowling at him reproachfully. "Gotta say though, that was..." He said, grimacing as he trailed off into incoherent grumbles and buried his face in Taylors throat, much to his husbands amusement.

Mike chuckled, grinning wickedly and watching the group as they seemed to take a collective deep breath, as if waking from a particularly long and vivid dream. "What can I say? When I tell a story, I do it right."

"Psh, so you say." Michelle scoffed, rubbing her eyes tiredly as Sean draped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a light kiss to her brow. "Why the hell did I have to be the bitch of the town?" She complained, as she scowled at Mike accusingly.

"What can I say, Princess?" He said innocently, spreading his palms as if it weren't his choice. "I figured ya were the only one who could do the role justice, ya know? Give it some real bite." He said, sniggering when she huffed but seemed mildly appeased.

"Gotta admit, playing a monster is sure a new experience for me..." Kele hummed thoughtfully, shaking his head with a small smile, as he tickled his fingers up Quinn's sides, making her squeal and giggle in surprise.

"Dude..." Raj sighed shakily, his eyes wide as he stared at Mike in awe. _"Duuuuuude._ That was so not cool." He huffed, shivering as his face fell. "I am a man of peaceful solutions..." He muttered, tightly squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

"Ha, this guys sick!" Craig cheered, laughing as he shook his head to clear the lingering haze from his thoughts. "That was the bomb! Seriously, feel me, I got goosebumps still!"

"I will absolutely _not_ feel." Zahra droned, scowling when Craig picked her hand up and ran it over his arm anyway. "You're such a doofus... Least Mike got that right in his story. Though I dunno if I'd call it 'scary' exactly..." She sneered.

"Yeah? Why're you holding my hand then, Z?" Craig drawled smugly, raising their hidden hands from his lap, showing off the tight hold Zahra had on him to the rest of the group with a huge grin.

Zahra scowled as the the group began to snicker and laugh, her cheeks darkening in both fury and embarrassment. "Hey, Craiggers, you remember the thing?" She said roughly, clearing her throat as she flipped the bird around the dying campfire. "The thing I said we'd do, after this stupid 'bondfire' shit was over?" She added, at Craig's confused frown.

The jock took another minute to consider, before his face brightened suddenly. "Oh, yeah yeah! I remember now!" He said eagerly, chuckling as he subtly drew her closer to his side.

Zahra smirked, before jamming her fist into his shoulder, hard. "Have fun doing that _alone!"_ She growled, pulling away from him and folding her arms over her chest with a scowl.

Taylor bit his lip and tried his best to hide his laughter, turning to bury his face in Jake's throat as Craig spluttered with horror and indignation. "Whaa- aw, c'mon, Z!" He protested, trying to jostle her playfully, only for her scowl to deepen.

"At least you guys got active roles..." Grace said, smiling over at them happily. "I thought you both made very cool characters!" She said, snuggling into Aleister's side and looking up at him, as her expression morphed into a small frown. "It was a lot scarier than I thought it was going to be... thankyou for holding me!" She said, her expression clearing again as she pressed a small kiss to his cheek.

"Quite alright," Aleister chuckled, rubbing her arm gently. "I admit, Michael's ability to navigate the horror genre, took me rather by surprise." He admitted, looking over at the smug ex pilot, as he folded his arms behind his head and stretched. "It seems I underestimated your skill in storytelling..." He conceded lightly.

"No worries, Hedwig." Mike sighed, winking at him coyly. "I'm a man of many talents." He said proudly, huffing a sudden gasp when Jake's foot connected playfully with his side and knocked him over.

"Yeah, namely _bullshittin'."_ He snickered, as Mike pouted and pushed himself back upright. "I was gonna say it weren't bad, but then ya went and did that whole, weird pornographic thing..." Jake continued, grimacing as several of the group groaned and shuddered, while Taylor merely hummed thoughtfully.

"What can I say, Grandpa, I'm a thorough story teller." Mike huffed, shrugging innocently, though his eyes glittered with amusement. "Besides, I don't hear ya better half complainin' about the x-rated content..." He added slyly, as Taylor grinned and ducked his head.

"Plus that endin'? Pfft, Boy Scout knows better than to pull that kinda self sacrificin' shit on me." Jake growled, ignoring his best friend and nudging Taylors jaw affectionately with his nose, as if making sure he were really there. "Knows I'd kick his ass back to life, and then he'd never hear the end of it."

"Hmm, such a way with words you have, Top Gun." Taylor sighed fondly, rolling his head back on Jake's shoulder to gaze at him adoringly. Jake snorted in amusement, flashing him a wide grin before leaning in for a light but lingering kiss.

"Oh... my god." Quinn gasped, staring past the dying campfire in awe and shock, as a loud rumble rolled across the area. "Craig... was that your _stomach?!"_

"Aw, bro..." The jock complained, pressing his hands to his stomach as if pained. "I feel like I haven't eaten in a _week..."_ He groaned, as Zahra snorted and laughed at him.

"Karma is my bitch, loser." She sniggered, raising her hand for a high five which Varyyn eagerly supplied, much to Diego's pride and amusement.

"Well, doodlejumps, looks like its time for a midnight slash predawn feast!" Raj chuckled, pushing to his feet and turning away, only to pause and look back at Mike uncertainly. "Hey... I don't _really_ give you creepy traitor vibes, do I..?" He asked hesitantly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt nervously.

"'Course not, Hotstepper, ya about as threatenin' as a flower." Mike snickered, smiling at Raj fondly, as he noticeably relaxed. "But sometimes the nicest guys get twisted, and cause the biggest shocks."

"What started reassuring has turned not so, dude..." Raj sighed, shivering as if cold. He shifted his weight awkwardly, turning back towards the path which would lead him back to The Celestial Hotel.

"Hey," Mike called, smiling broadly at Raj as he glanced back dejectedly. "It's a compliment. There's no way in hell ya would betray ya friends... I know that. Was only fillin' the character, kid."

Raj hesitated a moment longer, before breaking out in a huge grin, nodding his head and strutting confidently down the path, talking to himself as he planned what to start cooking aloud.

Taylor shook his head, as Craig got up to follow and pester Raj, Zahra not far behind him. He watched his friends thoughtfully, as some of them got up in search of food or drink, wondering how they'd have reacted; had he made such a sacrifice in the real world. "So," he said suddenly, as his eyes swept over Estela, who sat quietly staring into the barely crackling remains of the fire. "What'd you think, Estela?" He asked, smiling at her curiously.

Estela frowned, her dark eyes locked into the distance beyond the dying fire, as Taylor raised a brow and debated calling to her once more. "My opinion... is that we've missed the point." She said quietly, her gaze slowly rising to meet his. "And I think that isn't the end..." She added, shifting her eyes to Mike, narrowing then suspiciously.

"A good story leaves ya wantin' more." He said, feigning a wise expression, before breaking out in a wide grin. "You're a sharp one, huh? Maybe I'll tell ya another sometime, hmm?" He suggested, winking at Estela cockily.

Estela rolled her eyes and pushed to her feet, sighing as she dusted sand from her clothes. "It's official, Taylor. There's actually someone who's as much of an idiot as you on the island." She said, a brief smile curling her lips, before she trailed after the others to find some food and her bed.

"Now see, that was just rude..." Mike said, turning to Taylor with a playful pout. "How come I'm labelled an idiot, just for tellin' an awesome story?" He groused, as Taylor gave him a small smile in response. 

"These guys often get their words mixed up." He said fondly, his eyes flicking to the dying embers of the fire. "They say idiot, but them mean awesomest person they ever met. Its a compliment." He said, beginning to giggle as Jake tightened his hold on him and bit his shoulder playfully.

"No, ya just an idiot and refuse to believe us." The pilot snarked, nipping Taylors throat quickly, before drawing back with a sigh. "Seriously though? That weren't bad, Mike. And ya even managed not to cack yaself tellin' it..." He said, laughing when Mike feigned an outraged expression. The ex pilot shook his head fondly and looked away, as Jake nuzzled Taylors jaw affectionately. "So... ya ready to head back to the suite now, Boy Scout?" He asked, waving his brows suggestively.

"Subtle, Top Gun. Real subtle." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he leaned over and kissed his pilot slowly, smiling at Jake's pleased hum of approval. "Why don't you get things ready for me? I'll catch up in just a sec..." He said, glancing at Mike as he stared at the faintly smoking remains of the fire. Jake frowned, opening his mouth to comment further, when Taylor pressed a finger to his lips and leaned closer, his lips brushing against the pilots ear softly. "If you go back to the room and get ready, I'll do that thing you like..." He whispered coyly, his lips curving into a devious smirk.

Jake swallowed quickly, drawing back to eye him suspiciously. "Hmm..." He hummed thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes briefly as he glanced at Mike, before sighing and finally releasing Taylor. "Fine... But only 'cause of the-"

"Thankyou, Top Gun." Taylor said loudly, capturing Jake's shirt and pulling him in for a teasing kiss, before allowing him to stand. "I'll see you in a minute."

"Bloody better do." Jake muttered petulantly, throwing Mike a rough salute as he turned away with a sulky pout. "See ya later, Mike." He called, before strolling away, his hands in his pockets as he followed the path at an unhurried pace.

For a long pause, Taylor was content to sit in silence, looking out across the ocean to where the horizon no longer burned; the terrible fires hidden by the rising of the sun. "So..." He said at last, several peaceful minutes later. "Subtlety isn't exactly your strong point, is it?" He asked, looking over with a small smile, as Mike flashed him a brief but cocky wink.

"Subtlety is for those who have too much time on their hands, kid." He huffed, shaking his head as he looked away again. "All of ya sulkin' has been makin' ya friends miserable. Seemed like ya needed a wake up call on just how bad things can get, if ya don't let ya friends help ya... Ya ain't protectin' 'em, by shuttin' 'em out, ya know?"

Taylor looked down at his lap, toying with the fabric of his jeans absently. "I..." He paused, slowly drawing in a deep breath. "I... made a choice, which trapped them all on this island, for the rest of eternity. Not just their natural lifetimes... _Actual_ eternity." He said thickly, choking on the grief which tried to rise in his throat. "I... I put my happiness, my need to stay with them; over everything. Their families, their futures, their lives. I can't just, push aside the feeling that, when push came to shove; when I could have really saved them... I was _selfish."_

"Ah, kid, ya too hard on yaself." Mike scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "And the fierce, scary girl is right. Ya missin' the point here." He added, looking over at Taylor seriously, his usual humour missing for once from his mismatched eyes. "Ya gotta _forgive yaself,_ kid. 'Cause it ain't just yaself that ya hurtin'... Nobody blames ya, but yaself. So maybe its time to start listenin' to the majority, huh?" Taylor sighed, folding in on himself as he frowned and considered the ex pilots words. After several long minutes of silent contemplation however, Mike shook his head and sighed wearily. "Ya oughta be gettin' back to Grandpa, before he starts thinkin' I kidnapped ya." He huffed, tipping his head towards the path. "Go on, kid." He said, before getting to his feet with a small groan, and turning in the opposite direction.

"You're not coming back to the hotel?" Taylor asked, quickly rising himself, as he frowned after the departing ex pilot.

"Nah," Mike said, saluting blindly to Taylor over his shoulder. "Been sittin' so long that my legs, or what's left of 'em, have cramped. I'll be back later." He said, before strolling confidently away from the beach and into the trees.

Taylor turned to follow the path back to the hotel with a frown, his mind restless as he considered everything the other man had said. _Am I hurting them, keep blaming myself?_ He wondered, before shaking his head firmly. Stupid Mike, getting in my head. He thought determinedly, glancing back to the spot where Mike had disappeared into the trees. He took a half step towards the hotel, before pausing to bite his lip, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Mike alone in the woods; recalling the time he'd been bitten by a snake himself. 

With the memory firmly in mind, he turned and trotted after the ex pilot, quickly but quietly slipping through the trees. His eyes darted between low hanging branches and the root strewn path, his frown deepening when he found no sign of his friends trail. "Mike..?" He called, pausing to glance around. He saw no sign of the ex pilots passage, and sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, twisting to examine the paths and try and determine which the other man might have taken. _Why do I even bother? I'm starting to think maybe everyone's onto something when they keep calling me an idiot._.. He thought dismally, grimacing as he firmly told himself to think first and act later in future.

He shivered, a chill passing over his spine, as he dithered amid the trees. "Mike!" He called, shaking his head as he pressed on, darting deeper into the woods. Shadows grew longer, the gloom of the forest seeming to grow and stifle him, as the light barely filtered through the dense canopy above him. _"Miiiike..!_ Really not funny anymore... Please don't make me tell Jake I lost you..." He called, his breath quickening as silence remained his only reply. 

Taylor hurried through the trees into a small clearing, panting for breath as he sighed and finally told himself that should turn back. "Mike!" He called, looking around the area slowly, his skin crawling with unease as an eerie silence prevailed through the forest. "Okay, well... Have fun dealing with the wrath of Jake when you get back then!" He called, scowling into the darkness beyond the trees on the far side of the clearing. _"Jerk."_ He muttered, shaking his head with a small sniff. He was about to turn away, when he caught sight of a small flash of red, behind one of the trees. "Mike..?" He called, frowning as he stepped closer, the red shape growing slowly until it was distinguishable as an arm  "Mike!" He called, hurrying across the clearing to find the ex pilot leaning against the base of a tree, apparently sleeping quite peacefully. _"Mike!_ Hey, Mike..! Wake up, asshole, you-"

"He won't wake up just yet." A voice called across the clearing, causing Taylor to fly to his feet and spin around, his eyes widening as he stumbled back a step. 

"You... I-" Taylor choked, his brow furrowing briefly, as he glanced between the sleeping Mike and the newcomer, a perfrct double of the ex pilot, confusion coursing through him. "I don't... How..? This can't be..."

"Just calm _down."_ The newcomer said, raising their palms and slowly approaching. "I had a feeling you'd come. You're a fighter..." They continued, as Taylor scowled and backed away.

"What the hell do you mean? Stay back! Who the _hell_ are you?!" He demanded, torn between moving further away from the approaching figure and standing his ground beside Mike's sleeping form by the tree. "What the _hell is going on_?!"

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you, or anyone! I promise. I just... I needed to know you would listen." The newcomer explained, almost pleading as they took another step closer.

 _"What?!"_ Taylor cried, shaking his head vehemently as he glanced down at Mike before looking up again with a scowl. "What the hell did you do to Mike?! Wha- how..?" He muttered, his body tensing and his fist rising defensively, as he stood firmly beside the ex pilot.

"Okay, okay..." The newcomer said, pausing as they glanced around briefly. "Look, I'm not trying to freak you out-"

"Well then, you're failing _spectacularly,_ dude!" Taylor yelped, swallowing heavily as his eyes ran over the newcomer again. "What the hell is going on? How can you be _there,_ when you're _here_ beside me?!" He demanded, as the Mike double sighed quietly. 

"I _will_ explain everything, just..." The awake Mike said, pausing as he looked back over his shoulder a moment. "Okay." He said, straightening and half turning to face the direction he'd come from. "Look, I'm gonna ask you not to freak out, okay..? Just... he startles easily..." He said, trailing off to a quiet whisper as he held his hand out to the trees at the edge of the clearing.

 _"Oh..."_ Taylor murmured, his eyes widening as the shadows at the edge of the trees began to swirl, rising from the ground and coalescing into a shape which was almost human. _"My..."_ He gasped, as two small pinpricks of light pierced through the darkness, seeming to stare straight through Taylor, before turning to the awake Mike.

"Just... _easy."_ The second Mike said lowly, slowly approaching the tall and shadowy creature. "Hey," he called to it gently, his expression softening. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you..."

 _"We_ won't hurt-" Taylor choked, shaking his head in disbelief as the shadowy being seemed to tense at the sound of his voice, drawing back to the trees as if nervous.

"No, no, hey... I'm here, its okay." The Mike clone said quickly, stretching his hand out to the creature. "See? Its all okay." He assured softly, glancing back at Taylor briefly. "I need you to let him see _me_ now, okay?" He said, as Taylor frowned and cocked his head curiously.

"... _friend..?"_ The creature rasped, its voice both deep and whispery together, seeming to come from within the beings shadows, and all around the clearing all at once.

"Yes... I think so." The Mike clone agreed, stepping closer to the creature without fear. "Come on, now... Let him see. Its okay." He said calmly, his palm reaching out before the creature.

The shadowy being cast its tiny lamp like eyes towards Taylor once more, and his brows rose at the distinctly distrustful nature of the look. A moment later however, the being reached out with a great shadowy hand, its long finger like claws passing straight through the awake Mike's hand. Almost immediately, the Mike double seemed to ripple and quiver with shadows, the darkness roiling as it quickly consumed him from head to toe. 

Taylor stared with wide eyes, as the dark shape where the Mike double had stood began to shift and warp. Finally, the darkness began to recede and Taylor gasped as the shadows cleared to reveal an entirely different person, looking back at him cautiously. Grey eyes drank in Taylors every reaction, as the darkness revealed a mop of blonde hair, and a muscular body, partially hidden away beneath a simple shirt and a brown leather jacket. "Don't freak out..." He murmured, turning to face Taylor fully, biting his lip as he half raised an arm before the shadowy being, as if to protect it. "He won't hurt you, I promise... He just scares easy." 

 _"He_ scares-" Taylor choked, before clapping his hand over his mouth, closing his eyes as he shook his head and tried to swallow down his hysteria. He exhaled a long breath, and slowly opened his eyes, looking over at the stranger as his brows furrowed slightly. "Who are you?" He asked, stepping forward as his eyes darted to the shadowy creature cautiously. "And what did you do to Mike?" He added, gesturing the the sleeping ex pilot beside him.

"Nothing, I swear. Mike is an old friend of mine... He said he thought he knew of a way we could help each other." The stranger assured, glancing down at Mike with a brief flash of a smile. "You can ask him when he wakes up."

"Oh, I will." Taylor assured quickly, taking a deep breath as he frowned at the blonde man in frustration. "Now for the last time, who the hell _are_ you?!" He asked, his hand curling into a fist at his side, trying to contain the rising hysteria he felt.

The shadowy creature growled quietly, flames briefly flickering across his skeletal face, until the blonde man gently soothed him. "Shhh, its okay." He assured, before turning back to Taylor. "My name is Connor Green..." He said, sucking in a deep breath as he glanced back and smiled sadly. "And _this_ is... Devon." He said thickly, swallowing as his eyes met the lamp like gaze of the creature, who seemed to whine sadly at the mention of their name.

"Uh, nice to... meet you?" Taylor hedged, glancing between the two uncertainly, as they seemed to share some silent communication. Connor turned back to him with a start, his cheeks darkened with a hint of embarrassment.

"Sorry." He said quickly, clearing his throat as he stepped closer. "Look, Taylor... We need your help, and... I think you need ours." He said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

 _"Help?"_ Taylor asked, his brows rising in surprise. "What kind of help do you think I can give? Or _need..?"_ He added, frowning slightly as the shadowy figure floated just behind Connor, seeming almost nervous.

"Mike told us how you've been blaming yourself for what's happened..." The blonde man said, as he carefully stepped into the middle of the clearing. "We know, better than any, just how destructive that can be. Not just to yourself... but to _everyone_ that you love." He said, swallowing thickly as he lowered his eyes and half turned away.

"... _Connor..."_ Devon whispered sadly, floating closer and hovering beside the other man, his shadowy form seeming to writhe with his obvious distress. "... _Sad?"_

"I'm fine, Devon... Its okay." Connor said, forcing a weak smile for the creature as he lifted a hand as if to stroke its cheek, but the creature jerked back as if afraid. Connor sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to Taylor. "He worries he'll hurt me..." He admitted quietly, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Taylor frowned, his eyes darting from Connor to the strange spectre, and finally catching on the slight glitter of something around Devon's dark and shadowy neck. "Oh..." He breathed, his eyes widening as he stared at the antique whistle in dawning horror.

"I did tell you all at the beginning..." Connor said quietly, following Taylors stunned gaze to the whistle. He turned back to Taylor with a sigh, as his deep blue eyes locked onto thr blonde man in sudden realisation. "I only changed a few details."

"Why?!" Taylor choked, his breath quickening at the implications, his heart racing as he struggled to understand how he was supposed to help. "How could you even know all..?!" He gasped, trailing off as shock frayed at his nerves.

"Because we need you and your friends to believe... The best way to make you all understand was to immerse you in the story; to let you see what happened... the way Devon showed me once." Connor explained pleadingly, taking a hesitant step forward. "I think... I _know,_ that together, we can undo what's happened. But, I need you and your friends to believe in us first... To believe in _Devon."_  

"Undo..?" Taylor repeated, drawing in a deep breath as he turned away, running both hands through his hair. "I don't... I don't understand." He said, shaking his head as he turned back again, his expression torn between hopeful and confused.

"Taylor; I think with Devon's help, you can restore the world and put things right again. And I think..." Connor hesitated, looking back at Devon longingly as he sighed heavily. He turned back to Taylor, his grey eyes lit with a hope that made them almost as bright as Devon's. "I think in the process, you and your friends might be able to help save Devon... But I need you to _believe."_ He pleaded.

Taylor stared at Connor in stunned silence, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to process everything he'd been told. _A way to save them, really save them_... He thought, swallowing heavily as his eyes drifted across the clearing, to where Devon hovered by the edge of the trees; seeming almost content as he floated near to Connor. "Taylor..?" The blonde man called, as Taylors breath quickened while he watched Devon float around curiously, careful to avoid Taylors section of the clearing. "Taylor?" He frowned, his hand rising to his head as he felt a wave of dizziness pass through the haze of his shock. He blinked slowly, his breath catching as his eyes closed a second time, his legs crumbling beneath him. _"Taylor!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying thankyou one last time. Youre amazing, wonderful people who encourage me to keep writing, even when real life tells me i shouldnt.
> 
> Thankyou all. So. Much. ♡


End file.
